Cirque de L'amour
by quantumchickpea
Summary: Ladybug is a well sought after Aerial Silk performer. Plagg brings in a new aerial pole act to accompany her. How will she feel about it? Aged up AU. Aerial AU. (I changed the last chapter and I'm finishing this right. Sorry, the editing is so bad on this. I'm not rewriting the whole thing, but the editing from here on out will be on par with the rest of my stories.)
1. Chapter 1

"You're going to love it here." Plagg spoke with a smile and led Chat Noir into a beat up building.

"Whatever you say." Chat chuckled and rubbed the back of his head, looking down at the ground, as he followed behind him.

Plagg opened a curtain and dropped it behind him. Chat caught it before it could close and stopped in his tracks. His mouth fell open and his eyes grew wide.

A girl with midnight hued hair in pigtails with a red spotted filigree mask hung in the air. The red silk aerial hammock wrapped around her back beneath her arms and she gracefully spun with her body perfectly straight and her toes pointed down. She tilted her head back and gripped onto the two silk lines before pulling her knees to her chest and flipping around so that she was now sitting upright.

Chat peered at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. She spun around and flipped down and dangled in the air. She split her legs in a fanned motion and spun around until she pulled herself back into an upright position. She bent her body back until her head nearly touched her stretched out foot and peered over at him with a smile.

"Who is that?" Chat couldn't look away. She was amazing.

"Oh her?" Plagg pretended like she was no big deal. "That's Ladybug. She's pretty good huh?"

"She's-" Chat was breathless as he watched her more.

She wrapped the silk around her ankles and gracefully let herself straighten out, before she began to spin gracefully in the air with her arms above her head, hands reaching out around her in slow motions. She reached up and stretched out one foot, while tucking in the other and arched her back with her head bent back before letting herself roll down the silk in various graceful flips. She brought the silk around her back again and under her arms and spun around like a ballerina would on the ground. Chat's eyes sparked at the sight.

Plagg tsked him and rolled his eyes. The kid was transfixed by her. Most men were. Hell, most women were too. She was one of a kind and the public loved her.

Ladybug stood up on the silk and slowly went into a sitting position before rolling back and dropping, letting the silk tangle her ankles and suspend her in the air. Her loose black lace cover up fell down her arms to the floor below her and she was left in a form fitting, structured sparkling red bodice and high waisted shimmering black short shorts. Chat's mouth ran dry at the sight of her.

"C'mon. You have stuff to sign, kid. Don't get distracted by the other acts." Plagg pulled him by the arm.

The last thing Chat saw was Ladybug pulling herself up by arching her back slowly and stretching her legs out behind her with one of her hands holding onto the silk. She smiled at him and blew a kiss towards him. Chat smirked and a blush rose to his cheeks, as he was pulled into a room where the door slammed behind him.

"Wow." Was all he could say when Plagg sat him into a chair.

"Get a grip, kid." Plagg grimaced at him.

"Sorry. What were you saying?" Chat shook his head to bring him back into reality.

"Nevermind. Let's talk about your act, shall we?" Plagg opened a drawer and flung a contract in front of him.

"Right." Chat shook his messy hair and tried to focus on the business contract.

"What makes you special?" Plagg peered up at him.

"I can do things that you've never seen." Chat smirked and crossed his arms across his chest with a dark expression in his eyes.

"Try me." Plagg gave him a dirty look back.

"It'd be easier to show you." Chat sat back in the chair.

"Alright. What do you need?" Plagg sighed and gave in.

"Just this." Chat brought out a silver staff that had a place to hook something to it at the top. It looked short and it confused Plagg.

"A little small isn't it?" Plagg gave him an inquisitive look.

"Ha." Chat chuckled and stood up. He flicked his wrist and it shot out into a six foot pole.

"Oh. Alright. Show me what you got." Plagg followed him out to the room where Ladybug had been working on her routine.

"I need a line." Chat looked around.

"Here." Ladybug came out of the shadows and walked over to release a rope from a hook and a line came down with a clasp on the end.

"Thanks." Chat gave her a dashing smile and she rolled her eyes.

He hooked the clip to his staff and let it go. "You ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be." Plagg rolled his eyes and sat down to watch.

Chat slipped off his black shirt and overcoat. He only wore black slacks and Ladybug's mouth fell open at the sight of his body. Saying he was fit was an understatement. He was muscular and perfectly tanned. His body was perfect in her eyes and he was drop dead gorgeous. Ladybug watched him. His bright green eyes hid behind a black solid mask. Leather cat ears sat on his head within his messy blonde hair.

He spun the pole on the ground and walked around it with a look of determination. He walked with a smooth and sexy canter and she bit her lip at the sight. He caught the pole with one hand and slowly ran in a circle, building up momentum before letting himself come off the ground in a lunge and spun around in the air in perfect form. His muscles tensed beneath his smooth skin and Ladybug had to control her breathing.

He leaned back and brought his knees into his chest, letting one foot extend out and he gracefully spun. Chat brought his feet above his head and wrapped his ankles around the pole before letting go with his hands. He arched his back and leaned back with his arms out and let the aerial pole spin in a circle like a pendulum. He spread his legs out along the pole and reached up and spun off of the pole onto the ground in a dance move. He caught the pole and swung his body up and around it until he was balanced on his pelvis and spread his arms wide, riding it around in a slow circle.

Ladybug looked at Plagg, who had his mouth open as well. She smiled at him and went back to watching the new act.

Chat rolled and flipped back onto the ground. He picked it up off of the ground and slowly swung it around his waist before bringing it above his head with one hand, letting it spin in his palm. He brought both hands onto it and brought it down to spin and soon he was brought up into the air. He held on with one hand and spun around in a circle with his legs out behind him. He brought his legs up and gripped the pole with his knee and let his body dangle down. He brought his arms out at his sides and spun in a circle. He gave Ladybug a wink and she looked away with her arms crossed, appearing to not be interested in him. He smirked and gripped the pole with both hands and held his body out with core strength before flipping around to grab the pole with his legs again. The pole lowered, as he spun and he gracefully touched the ground with his feet and took a bow.

"You're in." Plagg finally found words and ran up to him. Ladybug brought a hand to her mouth and bit her knuckle with a smile.

Chat breathed hard, grabbed his discarded shirt and coat and followed Plagg back into the office to sign his life away on a dotted line.

Inspiration:

YouTube

Ladybug act- Selkie Hom Eye of the Needle silk hammock barn shoot

Chat act- Cirque du Soleil Act Saulo Sarmiento Aerial Pole


	2. Chapter 2

Ladybug made her way to the makeshift dressing room to change clothes. She slipped on an A-line powder pink dress over a white corset. Ladybug found her shoes by a chair and slipped them on. She looked into the vanity mirror and slowly took off her mask.

Her door flew open and she turned to see a familiar man in the doorway.

"Don't you knock?!" Ladybug shielded her face with her hands before turning to throw her mask on as fast as possible when she registered who it was.

"I just wanted to meet my new partner in the show." Chat grinned and bowed before her. "M'Lady."

"Excuse you, but I'm no ones lady. And we are not partners." Ladybug was offended and turned away from him.

His expression became unamused and he stood up straight. "It seems we are." He handed her a sheet of paper that showed them as an act together.

Ladybug ripped it from his hands and looked at it. She read every letter, every word and her eyes flew open. "Is this a joke?"

"Afraid not." Chat rubbed the back of his neck with one hand on his hip.

Ladybug frowned and shoved him out of the way and stomped towards Plagg's office. She threw open the door and found him sitting at his desk with his feet up on the top of it, lighting a cigar that was perched between his lips.

"What is this?" She flung the paper towards him.

He kicked his feet down and removed his cigar before he grabbed it. He looked it over. "You're partners."

"I work solo." Ladybug poked her chest with a finger.

Chat looked at Plagg and shrugged behind her.

"Look. You're both talented. You both do aerial work. Imagine the looks on everyone's faces when you perform together." Plagg spread out his hands in front of his face.

"I don't believe this. Keep your CAT on a leash." Ladybug seethed and stomped out of the room.

Chat flinched, as the door slammed with his eyes screwed tight.

"She'll come around. She always does." Plagg stuck the cigar back in his mouth. "Go get comfortable. Your room is down the hall."

Chat nodded and walked out of the office, leaving Plagg to relax back against his chair. "She'll come around." He whispered to himself and stared at the ceiling.

Ladybug flung her costume into her bag and threw her back against the door before grabbing her bangs and sliding down. She grinded her teeth in a scowl and threw on a red corset top and black form fitted cotton shorts. She flung her door open and made her way to her aerial silks. Ladybug turned on _Chandelier_ by Sia. She wrapped her wrist in the fabric and ran in a circle before lifting herself off the ground and letting herself swing in a circle. Her movements were angry and less than graceful. She split the silk pieces in two and wrapped both wrists before flipping her legs above her head, twisting them in the fabric and dropping upside down. She arched her back and let her arms go out at her sides and she closed her eyes. She imagined a crowd cheering for her. Only her. She pulled herself up and tangled the fabric around her shoulder blades and let herself spin in a circle again with her arms out. She closed her eyes and relaxed into the move until her body hit something warm and solid. She opened her eyes and they went wide. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of bright green eyes staring into her blue ones. He held her in one arm while the other held on to his pole suspended in the air.

"I wanted to talk to you." Chat breathed hard. His muscles taught from holding him up.

Her mouth ran dry and her eyes became doe like. "I-"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry- for barging in on you." Chat gave her his best apologetic smile.

"Let go of me." Ladybug pushed away from him and he let go and watched her gracefully fly away from him.

He smirked, grabbed his pole with both hands and used his feet to propel himself after her.

"You can't keep this up for long." Ladybug smirked at him behind her and watched him follow her in a circle.

"Is that a challenge?" Chat smirked at her with a devious expression.

"I don't know." Ladybug wrapped an ankle in silk and extended it, holding the two pieces above her head and closed her eyes.

Chat chuckled and switched to using only one hand on the pole. He kicked the air and flew faster after her.

Ladybug had switched back to the silks being under her arms when she felt herself get caught again.

"Damnit." She cursed under her breath and looked up into his eyes. They sparked a bright green behind his mask and she felt her mouth fall open and her eyes get heavy.

"Now will you talk with me?" Chat panted out of breath with a smile. Sweat glistened on his bare chest and shoulders and she watched his chest rise and fall.

"Fine." Ladybug cleared her throat and pushed off him and flipped down the strands of silk until she was on the ground.

Chat rode his pole down to the ground until his feet touched.

She walked over to grab water and kept walking the ring. _Elastic Heart_ by Sia began to play over the small stereo.

Plagg had been watching from his office window with a giant grin on his lips. "Would you look at that." He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, cigar in his empty hand at his side.

"Look. I'm-" Chat followed her around and she didn't seem to stop walking. He groaned, reached out, and grabbed her upper arm. He spun her around and in one swift movement she ducked beneath his arm with a smile and a twist on the ball of her feet.

"You wanna play that game?" Chat bit his lip with a smile. He began to shift his feet and twist at his waist in fluid movements. Locking at specific moments.

She rolled her eyes and walked away from him. She stopped and bit her lip before turning around to counter his moves. She began rocking on her feet and moving her arms to accompany the move. She slowly straightened up with locking movements and started rocking her hips and winked at him.

Chat let out a short laugh and began to slide along the floor towards her and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her against him. They rocked their hips together as one and he spun her out in one fluid motion. He watched her arms go above her head and her feet go up on their toes, as she spun away from him in a graceful motion. She stopped and looked at him. He crouched in a solid stance and he did a come hither motion with his hands and she bit her lip before taking after him in a run. She leaped and he caught her above his head and spun them slowly before slowly letting her down along his body. She panted and braced herself on his forearms. Suddenly she was aware of how close they were. How warm their bodies were. She shook her head and pushed away from him.

"I'll speak with you tomorrow. Let me get my head stra- let me get used to this whole partner idea." She couldn't even talk straight around him.

Chat bit his lip and watched the woman walk away from him.

"Damn. You guys are great together." Plagg came out of his office and slapped Chat on the shoulder. "Keep it up and you'll be selling the place out."

Chat looked over at him and smiled before walking off to his room, feeling like he won something.

 **Songs:**

 **Chandelier: Sia**

 **Elastic Heart: Sia**


	3. Chapter 3

Ladybug got dressed once again and prepared to go for a walk. "He had some nerve." She huffed and flung her door open before walking out the front doors.

She needed fresh air and she needed to get away from that place for a moment. It was suffocating her and she wanted a little freedom.

Since she was young she had wanted to be an act, a solo act, that millions would travel to see. It was a dream of hers, but it felt so far away now.

Felt so unreachable now that she had a partner. She groaned and picked up the pace. Why was he so special? Why did they have to have an act together? She had signed on solo, not as a duo.

She flung her back into the side of a building and brought a hand to her forehead in frustration.

Why did he have to be so attractive… She punched the wall and looked up at the sky.

Her thoughts went to the man she had left back home and had never confessed her feelings to. He was the well known son of a designer. His enchanting green eyes and perfectly styled blonde hair haunted her dreams at night.

She remembered the day they met under a cloudy sky. How he had taken off his hat and bowed to her, before taking her hand and giving it a kiss while his burning emerald eyes met her oceanic blue ones. How her heart had stopped in that moment and her lips had parted.

Ladybug gripped the fabric at her chest as she felt an ache begin to rise. She missed him and a major part of her regret never telling him how she felt, but her kind wasn't supposed to run with his. Her family wasn't wealthy enough to be with his.

Something about Chat's eyes set her heart aflame and she assumed it was because they reminded her of the man back home. The man named, Adrien. Her Adrien. She sighed and let her hand fall, as she felt a raindrop hit the top of her head.

She covered her head and ran back to the place that she now called home. Even if it held a different set of green eyes.

Chat Noir and Ladybug were busy dusting their hands with powder when Plagg walked into the ring with a sheet of paper in his hand.

"I took the time to procure you two a song for your first duo routine." Plagg handed them each a paper.

"Puppeteer?" Chat rose one eyebrow at the song.

"Since you guys fly as well as you dance… I found it fitting. You could alternate between being in the air and dancing on the floor." Plagg smiled at them.

"No...way in hell." Ladybug dropped the paper and walked off to her room.

Chat rubbed his chin. "I don't know if that's the best song choice for what we do."

"Just trust me and try. Please. Talk to her. Maybe she'll reason with you." Plagg tapped him on the shoulder with a hand.

Chat burst out a single laugh. "You overestimate my power, Plagg."

"Just try, kid. That's all I ask." He smiled and left back to his office, letting the heavy door fall.

Chat looked down, scratched the back of his head, and shook his blonde hair back and forth with a smile.

He walked down the hallway and leaned against the wall next to Ladybug's door. He crossed one foot over an ankle before knocking with his free hand.

She opened her door a crack and glared at him. "What? Cassachat."

His eyes narrowed and he smirked. "Nice pun. I like it."

"Ugh." She rolled her eyes at him.

"I came to talk you into trying the song with me." Chat gave her his best reassuring smile.

She pouted her pink lips and slammed the door. Chat stood up straight and touched his hands to the door. "Look, I don't like the song anymore than you do, but I'm willing to at least give it a try. Even if it's just to prove Plagg wrong."

Ladybug sighed with her forehead pressed to her door. She opened her door and he nearly fell into her. He quickly caught himself and stood up straight and rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly smiling.

Her eyes went wide and then relaxed. "Fine. One go through to prove him wrong. That's it."

"Chats honor." Chat held up two fingers with a hand over his heart.

Ladybug rolled her eyes and pushed him away by his chest. "Let's go, kitty." She walked past him to the ring.

She knocked on Plagg's door with a hand on her hip. Chat stood behind her and adjusted his mask.

Plagg opened his door and looked at her. "Did you come around?" His face was unamused.

"We're gonna try it but once you see that it won't work. We get to pick the song. If we have to do this." Ladybug sighed and spoke with attitude.

"Fine." Plagg shrugged and went into his office to grab the cd and handed it over to her. "Here it is. Prove me wrong."

"Hm." She raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "We will. Let's go, Chat."

He shrugged at Plagg and followed behind her to the stereo.

She put the cd in and he grabbed his pole from his back and flicked his wrist to extend it.

"Ready to prove him wrong?" Ladybugs gaze flickered to Plagg watching from the window of his office. "He's watching."

"Ready when you are." He smirked and hooked his pole up to the rig.

Ladybug sighed and hit play in defeat. The song started and Ladybug got into a starting position.

Chat stood behind her and raised her arm above her head before suddenly leaning her back, her pelvis pressed against his and he slowly moved her upper body from the left to the right,supporting her with his hand on her lower back and his free hand hovering above her face, as if he was controlling her. As the beat picked up he suddenly spun her out and pulled her back into him. Her free hand hit his chest and she looked into his bright green eyes with wide blue ones. He smirked at her with heavy lids before she slid away from his hold with a smile.

Plagg watched and tapped his chin at the sight of them.

They slid together with their arms out and danced together, shifting their feet along the ground in a sliding motion along the ground. She shifted her hips in a locking motion while tapping her hand along with the beats on her hip and bit her lip at him. He locked and loosened his body up and moved closer to her before grabbing onto her waist and he pulled her in front of him and rocked his hips with hers after the song rang out with the lyrics, _My little puppeteer._ He spun her out and she spun freely away from him with her hands behind her head.

As the beat slowed they both wandered over to their aerial gear and grabbed onto them. They spun in circles next to each other before they were hoisted into the air with the second, _my little puppeteer_ hit. They went into a fast spin next to each other before splitting up and each of them held on with one arm with the other extended to each other. He flipped his body up onto the pole and let go with both of his hands and rode it around in a wide circle following her as the music slowed, while she had wrapped the silk around her foot and extended her leg out while bringing the other in and soaring around in front of him. Her back was arched and he followed close behind. She straightened out and hooked the silk beneath her arms and he flipped off his pole onto the ground and waited for her. He looked up and did a come hither motion to her and she suddenly dropped into his arms and he dipped her back in a fast motion with a wide stance and looked into her eyes out of breath. Her face was meer inches from his and his breath was warm on her lips. Her eyes were wide in shock at how close they were. Green met blue once again and her mouth went dry.

"Beautiful!" Plagg came out clapping his hands with a cigar in his mouth. "I told you that song would work!"

Chat brought her back up to a standing position and she cleared her throat and brushed off her sparkling black tights.

Chat looked at her with love stricken eyes, but she never turned to notice his expression. She was too busy being annoyed with how well it had worked.

 **Song: Puppeteer by MAX**


	4. Chapter 4

Chat walked back to his room and sat on the black metal folding chair that was in there. He rested his elbows on his thighs and held his head in his hands.

He slipped off his mask and ran his hands beneath his tired eyes. He looked in the mirror and suddenly the memories of who he was flooded in and he grimaced. He hated his name. Hated his famous father and how he was always tied to it like it was chains that held him back.

The only memory he cherished and the only thing he missed was a girl with bluebell eyes. Marinette was it?

He messed his hair up and threw the mask back on. He was Chat Noir now and he no longer had to answer to Adrien Agreste.

He hit the vanity and made his way out of his room to the ring to work out some aggression.

 _Wrong_ by MAX began to play. Rain fell through the cracked ceiling and flooded the concrete ground.

He shifted his feet one after the other and elbowed from side to side, as he slid his feet along the ground into a crouch. He locked up his body to a standing position and spun in a circle before dropping to his knees in a wide stance. He widened and brought his knees in and out, while his palms remained flat on the wet ground. He suddenly straightened up onto his knees and spun, causing water to cascade around him in droplets that shimmered under the lights.

His soaked black shirt clung to his muscles and his hair drooped in his eyes, but he didn't care.

He moved his hips, leaned back, and ran a hand from his chest to the waistline of his slacks.

Ladybug watched from above with her fingers in her mouth and a smile on her face.

He leaned forward and repeatedly punched the wet ground with both hands in unison, letting water fly up around his clenched fists. _It's better when it feels wrong._ He got up and slid with his feet, alternating, to the pole that still hung from the ceiling.

Chat raised the pole above his head and began to spin it in his hands and alternated between them. Swinging it around his body. He then held it in front of him, let it snap back into itself, and shifted his feet along the wet ground to the beat. He threw the end down and it extended. Chat leaned it sideways, jumped onto it with his feet and let it rise up into the air. He began to spin around and jumped to swing down with it through the air. He spun around it, while it did a wide swing in a circle. Chat brought it between his thighs and let go, leaned back and let his arms go out at his sides.

He closed his eyes and let his mind go free. Chat leaned back up and gripped the pole. He let go with his legs and swung them out to pull it faster before bringing his knees to his chest around the pole and letting it slow down. He held on with one arm and let it bring him down to the ring again.

He threw the pole and let it swing, before shifting his feet and then did a body roll. He loosely moved his waist and then began to stomp outwards and punch his elbows out in time to the beat. He jumped and caught himself into a push-up move before he smoothly moved his hips into the ground.

Ladybug's mouth fell open at the move he had just done.

He rose up and kicked the water on the floor, sending water away from him. He ran and swung up and around on his pole. It rose from the ground.

Ladybug grabbed the silks in front of her and wrapped it around her right wrist. She smirked and let herself fly towards him. His eyes grew wide at the sight of her and he caught her. His chest rose and fell from all of the work he had just done.

"Hi." Ladybug smiled at him and bit her lip. "Getting some anger out?"

He swallowed hard and couldn't get words out.

She smirked and pushed away from him, letting herself spin in a wide circle around him.

She dropped down and threw a new song onto the stereo. It was _Butterflies_ by Zendaya.

Ladybug ran back to her silks and wrapped it around her wrist and flipped herself up the strands of fabric.

She let herself lean forward and fall slightly down the silk. She wrapped it around her ankles and let herself swing in a wide circle around him. Her arms went out and she arched her back. She let herself twist in the air and tangle up more bringing her arms into herself and back out, repeatedly. Water whipped from her dark hair cascading diamonds around the ring.

She reached out to him and brought her hands back up to the silk above her feet and she flipped up to a seated position. She leaned back and held a hand out, as she spun around in a wide circle. Ladybug looked at him through her long lashes. He felt his mouth run dry at the sight of her. She dropped down the silk till it fell beneath her arms and she brought one foot behind her with her arms out and back arched, beautifully.

He watched her spin around him in awe. He shook his head and held an arm out to catch her. He held onto his pole with his thighs to free his other hand. He moved a wet strand of hair from her cheek. "You're soaked." He lowered his eyelids with a warm smile.

Ladybug's lips parted. "I was…"

"Outside getting out some aggression too?" Chat filled in the blanks, running his hand down her neck, gently.

"I can't d-" She pushed away from him. She slowly lowered to the ground, unwrapped her wrist, and walked quickly to her room.

She had to get away. She couldn't fall for him. She loved the man back home. The man with stunning forest eyes and impeccable manners. Her heart hurt and she leaned against her shut door.

Chat lowered to the ground and slumped into a crouch. He grabbed the front of his hair. _What was he doing? What about the girl he dreamed of?_ He sighed and stood up straight. He unhooked his pole and let it shoot back into itself before making his way to his room.

As he passed by her door, he heard sobbing. He bit his lip and raised his fist to knock, but slowly dropped it. He shook his head and with new determination, walked into his room beside hers.

The next morning… she seemed to be in a better mood. Her smile was impeccable and her cheeks were filled with color. It was like she was brand new. But Chat knew she had been crying all night in her room. He could hear her through his thin wall.

She rubbed chalk on her hands in a red satin bodysuit that had ruffles around her upper thighs. It cupped her round bottom and her legs were covered in sparkly nude tights. She flung her hair forward and put it up into a messy bun, looking over at him with a heart stopping smile.

Chat looked at her sheepishly and blushed at the sight of her slowly bending her back up to stand up straight.

"Alright. Are we ready to practice for the big show in a few days?" Plagg came out of his office and looked them over.

Chat had an open black vest over his naked chest and a pair of tight black knit pants.

"Can't we just wing it?" Ladybug brushed her hands against each other and let the powder ploom out from her hands.

Chat grabbed some for himself and mirrored her.

"This isn't some fun moment. Where you guys get to make love eyes at one another and spin in a circle. This is the big time." Plagg put his hands on his hips with an unamused expression. "You need a routine."

Ladybug sighed and Chat looked over at her, curiously.

"Okay. What's your plan?" Ladybug looked at Plagg, giving up the fight against him.

 **Song: Wrong by MAX  
Butterflies by Zendaya**


	5. Chapter 5

Ladybug stumbled around the moves that Plagg had told them to do. It felt out of sync and wrong. Chat fumbled his pole and her hands slipped from her silk. She fell from the sky and Chat retracted his pole into itself and ran to catch her before she could break herself.

He caught her bridal style and set her gently on the ground with wide eyes. She had her eyes screwed shut with her arms in front of her eyes.

"Plagg… this isn't working." Chat looked at him with a death glare. "Just let us do what we do. Please."

"It flows better." Ladybug finally found her words after the shock wore off.

"You guys just need practice." Plagg rolled his eyes. "Keep working till you get it down."

Ladybug sighed and Chat looked at her worried.

Plagg made his way back to his office and slammed the door.

"You can't keep doing this. You fell." Chat breathed hard and Ladybug let him go.

"It's fine. We just-" She brushed herself off. "We just need to work harder."

Chat shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Chat changed into his normal clothes in his room. He threw on tan slacks, a black button down shirt, and a pair of black dress shoes. He grabbed his coat and walked out of his room. He stopped in front of Ladybug's door and lightly knocked.

"Hey." He spoke through the door.

She opened the door and looked up at him in a red a-line summer dress. "Yes?"

"I was heading out to the bar. To… destress from this nightmare." Chat touched his black mask. "Did you want to come with?"

"You really think they'll let us in with masks?" Ladybug leaned against her door frame and crossed her arms across her chest.

"They will at the one I can take you to." Chat smirked at her.

"Alright." Ladybug clicked her tongue. "Let me get my coat." She bumped herself off of the frame and grabbed her black peacoat.

She closed her door behind her and followed him out. He shrugged his coat on while he walked out the front doors with her behind him.

"Where is this place?" Ladybug tagged close behind him, as he took her through streets.

"It's not much farther." Chat smiled back at her and took her hand.

She reluctantly let him lead her into the darkness. Something about the area looked vaguely familiar.

She looked at the place in front of her and an eyebrow went up. "Cabaret?"

Chat shrugged. "It's the only place that will allow that." He touched the edge of her mask and let his finger slowly trace the side of her face.

She pulled away from his touch slightly and he smiled at her reaction.

"It's not the kind of cabaret you're thinking of." Chat laughed at her and pulled her inside.

Ladybug gave him a confused expression, as the place opened up to a lavish open room. It was decorated in posh scarlets and rich golds. Her mouth fell open at the sight. A woman swung over the tables below and sang a sweet song. Ladybug's blue eyes sparkled and Chat smiled at her with loving eyes.

Ladybug leaned over to him and he bent down so he could hear her. "I can't afford this."

"Don't worry." Chat smirked and he led her through the tables and crowds of people to a lavish cherry wood bar.

Ladybug had never seen such a fancy place. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and she began to feel out of place.

"I think I'm severely underdressed." She panicked as anxiety took over.

Chat rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. "You look a million times better than most of the woman in this place. It's all fake. An illusion. You're the most real thing here." He smiled at her and leaned away from her ear and pulled a barstool out for her. "Sit."

Ladybug sat at the bar and watched the man that had caught her moments ago sit beside her.

Chat pulled money out of his wallet and tapped the bar table with his finger and the bartender came around. "Grand Marnier for me… and?" He looked over at Ladybug.

She gulped, looked at the money in his hand, and into his eyes, blankly.

"Let me guess…" Chat tapped his finger on his chin while his drink was being made. "Soixante Quinze?"

"I don't know what that is." Ladybug finally got the words out.

The bartender slid his drink to him across the table top and he ordered Ladybug's drink too, slamming down more money.

She looked at him shocked with how much he had on him.

Chat sipped his drink and looked over at her with curious eyes. "Hm?"

The bartender set the bubbly drink in front of Ladybug with a smile and a wink and she internally cringed.

She ran her fingers along the stem of the glass.

"I didn't know you could afford a place like this." Ladybug took a sip of her drink and acted like she didn't have a care in the world.

Chat laughed. "There's a lot about me you don't know. And I prefer for it to stay that way." He took another sip from his glass and he set it down.

"So… I'll never know anything about the famous Chat Noir? Other than that he has amazing skills on a pole?" Ladybug smirked at him and stirred her Seventy Five.

"Pretty much. I doubt you'll tell me anything about yourself either." Chat laughed slightly and swirled his drink in his glass.

"Mm... You'd be surprised, Monsieur Noir." She winked and took a sip of her drink. "This is delicious." Her eyes went wide at the flavor.

"Told you, you'd like it." He gestured with his glass and finished his drink, before tapping the table and getting another Grand Marnier.

"So, what can you tell me about yourself?" Ladybug looked over at him.

Chat sighed into his drink and set it down. "Let's see." He thought for a moment about what he could give away without revealing who he was. "I'm twenty-eight."

Ladybug looked at him with a new interest.

"I like films. Any really." Chat took another drink.

Ladybug finally spoke up. "I'm twenty-seven. I also like films. Mostly action films. Some romance ones too. They just have to tell a great story." She smiled up at him.

"I'd tell you more, but then you'd figure out who I was." Chat laughed and rolled his drink with a turn of his wrist.

"I could probably tell you quite a bit without you knowing who I am."

Ladybug giggled and watched the lemon peel rotate in her flute glass.

"Care to dance, Miss. Ladybug?" He set his glass down and held out his hand.

"Haven't we done enough dancing?" Ladybug gave him an exhausted expression.

"Not this kind of dancing." Chat smiled at her and it reminded her of someone familiar.

She reluctantly took his hand and he led her out to the dance floor. _Romance no.2 in F Minor Op.50_ was being played by a violinist. Chat held her hand in the air and rested his other hand on her waist. He slowly led her into a basic box step in a smooth circle. They rotated around the floor to the sweet melody of the violin. He spun her and brought her back in towards him. She looked into his green eyes and her lips parted. Chat smiled at her and spun her two more times before bringing her back in, all while keeping them rotating and box stepping. She peered from his emerald eyes to his soft lips and he looked from her eyes to her soft pink lips.

He cleared his throat and broke apart from her. "Would you like another drink? I'm buying." Chat smiled at her.

"Yes, please." Ladybug touched her lips with her fingers and wished it was his lips. _What was she thinking? Adrien. Think of Adrien._

Chat led her back to the bar and ordered her another Soixante Quinze.

"So… this dance that Plagg's arranged." Ladybug stood beside the bar and held her glass.

"Yeah?" Chat took his drink from the table and leaned against it and took a sip.

"It's not gonna work, is it?" Ladybug looked over at him concerned. "I mean. I almost-"

"I know." Chat talked into his glass. "But he's not willing to listen."

"I don't see why he is so set on directing us. We work better on a whim." Ladybug sighed.

"I agree." Chat looked up at a woman on the stage reading poetry in a beautiful blue gown. Marinette fell to his mind and he about dropped his drink.

"You okay?" Ladybug looked over at him.

"Yeah. Are you ready to head back?" Chat set his drink down and left a generous tip.

"If you are." Ladybug set her drink beside his.

Chat led her out of the cabaret and out onto the street.

Something about him looked so familiar. Something about the way he had acted at the bar. The way he looked at her. She couldn't quite place it. Chat opened the door to the rundown building and waited for her to go inside.

Her mind fell to Adrien and tears threatened her eyes. She didn't know if she wanted to get this close to someone else. All she had ever wanted was Adrien since she set eyes on him on that rainy day.

Chat stopped at her bedroom door. "I'll see you in the morning." He had his hands in his pockets and looked to the ground.

"I'll see you then." Ladybug tried to smile and walked into her room.

 **Song:** **Romance No.2 in F Major Op.50**


	6. Chapter 6

She sat against her closed door and let the tears take her over. Her heart ached and her head ached. She was confused. When they danced… it felt perfect. It felt right. Like it was meant to be, but…

She bit her lip. _Adrien._ A pair of vibrant green eyes fell in front of her and she cried harder.

Ladybug wiped her eyes and tried to calm down, but those eyes kept haunting her. The way he tipped his hat. The way he had bowed to her. The way he had shielded her from the rain.

Her hand went to her lips and she cried harder, holding her knees to her chest. She let herself break into a million pieces of glass.

Chat threw his mask onto his vanity and hit his fist on the table, before grabbing the front of his hair with his elbows rested on the table.

He looked in the mirror and a pair of blue bell eyes stared back at him. The way Ladybug's hair had been soaked reminded him of when he had met Marinette. How the rain had soaked her clothing. How she had looked so cold. Her body shivering. How he had wrapped his coat around her shoulders to keep her warm.

Adrien looked in the mirror and saw him. Saw the person that he was expected to be. Well behaved and well bred. Rich and famous. Loved by everyone and every woman. He hated it. Hated it all. He threw his mask on, as he heard her sobs grow louder.

Chat couldn't take her pain anymore and he honestly couldn't take his own.

He threw his door open and walked over to hers. He raised his fist and knocked gently on her door. "Ladybug?"

She gasped at the sound and her head sprung up. Ladybug shuffled away from the door and bit her fingers.

"Are you okay?" Chat's voice came through the door softly.

She sniffed and hid her face in her folded arms.

"I'm coming in, okay?" Chat quietly spoke and slowly turned the handle.

She grabbed a coat and threw it over herself to hide.

Chat was shocked once his eyes landed on her. He softly closed the door behind him and slowly walked towards her. He dropped to the floor in front of her.

"I'm sorry if I hurt you." Chat softly spoke and reached to take the coat off of her. _That coat._ His eyes went wide for mere moments at the khaki peacoat.

Ladybug shook her head to disagree with him. "You just-" Her voice shook and her throat was dry.

"I'll get you water." Chat shook the thought away, got up, and grabbed her a glass of water from a small ornate table that sat in her room.

He handed it out to her and she reached out of the coat to grab it. She took a tentative sip. "You reminded me of someone. Someone I left back home."

Chat made a short and quiet laugh and sat next to her with his knees drawn up. "That's funny because you did too."

He smirked at her and she lowered the familiar coat from her face in surprise.

"I did?" Ladybug looked at him starstruck.

"Mm-hm." Chat nodded with his eyes closed and sighed. "There was this girl."

Ladybug looked at him with her mouth agape.

"She was-" Chat chuckled and brought his pointer finger and thumb to the bridge of his nose. "She was in the rain. I don't know why she was out in that weather, but she was." He went back in time.

 _Adrien stood in a patisserie and looked over an array of chocolates. The rain had really began to come down. He looked out the window while he paid for his candy._

 _That was when he saw a woman in a blue dress, standing in the rain. She had her hands above her head, failing to keep the rain off of her. Her hair had begun to stick to her face and her neck._

" _Merci!" Adrien said to the clerk before running out of the shop with his bag of chocolates._

" _Excuse me." Adrien took his hat off of his head and bowed to the woman in blue._

 _When he looked back up, the woman's blue bell eyes caught his crystal emerald ones. His mouth parted and so did her's. "I-"_

" _Hello. Do I know you?" Marinette asked him with a curious expression._

" _No. But I couldn't help but notice that you were standing in the rain… and…" He wrenched his hat between his hands. "I thought I may be of some service." He put his hat back on his head and shrugged off his khaki toned coat._

 _Marinette looked at him surprised. He smiled at her and handed his coat out to her. "Take it, please."_

" _I- I couldn't do that. You'd freeze." Marinette pushed it away from her._

" _Non-sense. My driver is almost here and you seem like you'll be out awhile." Adrien wrapped the coat around her shoulders._

" _Thank you…" She looked to be searching his face._

" _Adrien." Adrien smiled at her and kissed the back of her hand. "Adrien Agreste."_

 _Her eyes flew wide at the name drop. "Adrien- Agreste? Like THE Agreste?"_

 _He sighed. "I suppose you've heard of me. Everyone has." He looked away and spoke the last part under his breath._

" _Of course. You're the son of my favorite designer. I'm Marinette. Marinette Dupain Cheng." She smiled at him with a blush._

 _Adrien scratched the back of his neck. "Always a pleasure to meet a fan."_

"I haven't been able to keep those blue eyes out of my mind ever since." Chat sighed and stared into nothingness in front of him.

Ladybug's eyes were wide, as she looked at him.

He peered over at her. "What? What is it?"

Ladybug slowly untied her red filigree mask, closed her eyes, and opened them slowly to look at him with blue bell eyes, no longer shielded from the mask.

Chat about fell backwards at the sight. "Marinette?"

"I'm sorry." Marinette looked down at her feet with her mask loosely in her hand.

Chat took his mask off, set it next to him, and looked at her. "Me too."

She looked over at him and her mouth fell open and she was at a loss for words.

"More intimidating now that you know it's me?" Adrien sighed with sad eyes.

"No! No, just- shocking." Marinette sighed.

He looked down at the ground and Marinette scooted onto her knees in front of him. She grabbed his chin in her hand and brought his sad forest eyes to look into hers. "I haven't been able to keep you out of mind since that day either. But-" She looked away with a sad expression. "I thought you were too above me to ever see me. My family isn't the richest in Paris and yours… well." She shrugged.

"That doesn't matter." Adrien shook his head and grabbed her face. He pulled her forehead to rest against his. "What matters is that I didn't leave you behind. You've been here all along. Beside me. With me."

She pulled away from him with a skeptical expression. "Why are you here?"

Adrien let out a sigh and played with his black mask. "I hate my name. I never asked to be a famous designer's son. I never asked to be a top model. All I ever wanted to do was be free and entertain people. So, I ran away. Plagg was out scouting for new talent and I gave him an offer. Here I am. What about you?"

"I always wanted to be someone, something, that millions paid to see. I wanted my name in lights. When my parents passed, I had no one. Plagg found me doing what I do for money on the street and took me in. And I became his first act, but he wanted more. Needed more. So…" She gestured to him. "He got more." She looked away sadly.

Song I wrote this part to:

Sweater Weather covered by MAX and Alyson Stoner

Rain by Simple Three


	7. Chapter 7

She held out his coat to him. "Guess I can return this now." Marinette smiled at him.

"It's okay. Keep it." Adrien smiled back at her.

"Are you sure?" Marinette looked at him concerned.

"I'm sure." Adrien smirked at her the way Chat would and instantly they fell into place as one.

Her mouth fell open and he looked at her strange. "You okay? Do you need to lay down?" Adrien held his hands out in front of him.

"No. No, I'm okay. Just-" She blushed and hid in her hair. "I just realised that your… Chat."

Adrien laughed. "Well, I'm still trying to realise that you could be the same person as Ladybug. Ill mannered and all. She's drastically different than the shy girl I met in the rain."

"And your not?" Marinette pouted at him.

"I still have manners." Adrien boasted with his eyes closed.

"Says the man that's always so handsy." Marinette smirked and looked at him from the side.

Adrien laughed at her comment. "You win. You win. But if I hadn't been earlier..." He poked her nose with his index finger. "You would have hit the ground."

She recoiled, in shock, at his last comment and relaxed. "I'm really sorry for how I've acted around you. I shouldn't have been so mean." Marinette bit her lip and looked into his eyes.

"I have a feeling if you had known who I was… you wouldn't have acted that way." Adrien laughed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Sadly, probably not." Marinette smiled at him the best she could.

"Thought so. My name alone is a curse." Adrien sighed and looked at the wall in front of them.

"Hey." Marinette got up and got on her knees in front of him.

Adrien looked into her blue bell eyes through his hair.

"A name is just a name. It doesn't define you." Marinette smiled at him with teary eyes. "Plus." She took his mask from his hand and slid it onto his face. "You're Chat to the public now."

He smirked and pulled her to him. His breath feathered along her lips and her breath caught. "Thank you, Marinette. Really."

She searched his eyes with parted lips. His eyes flickered between her eyes and her lips. She looked at him with bedroom eyes and bit her bottom lip. Adrien licked his lips and time froze.

Marinette's heart sped up and her breathing quickened. He brushed a stray hair from her cheek and left his hand there. "Marinette…"

"Yes?" Marinette spoke and looked into his eyes with a soft expression.

"May I…" Adrien swallowed hard and searched her expression.

"I thought you'd never ask." Marinette smiled and brought her hands to his cheeks and pulled his lips onto hers.

His back bristled in shock and he soon melted into her. Adrien sighed and deepened the kiss. She straddled his hips and ran her fingers into his hair. His hands fell to her lower back and he held her close.

"How I missed you." Adrien whispered against her lips before resting his forehead on hers.

"I missed you too." Marinette licked her lips with closed eyes. "Can we start over?"

"Hm." Adrien let out a short quiet laugh. "Alright."

He gently pushed her off of him and she scooted out of the way. Adrien stood up and she watched from the floor with a confused expression.

He left her room without a word. Marinette began to panic that he wasn't coming back, but then she heard a knock on her door. She looked at the door puzzled and then opened it. There stood Adrien in a hat and coat without the mask, holding a single red paper rose.

Marinette ran back into her room and donned a blue dress and nice shoes. She came back to the door.

Adrien took his hat off and bowed at her door. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle."

Marinette curtsied back to him with a smile. "Bonjour, Monsieur."

He took her hand and gave the back of it a quick kiss. "My name is Adrien Agreste. And what would I have the pleasure of calling you?"

She blushed cherry red. "Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

"Well, it's lovely to meet you, Ms. Dupain- Cheng." Adrien stood up straight and put his hat back on his head. "Care to go on a walk with me?"

"I would love that." Marinette took his arm and followed him out of the building and onto the street.

"I was thinking about Plagg…" Marinette looked at him, as they walked.

"What about him?" Adrien kept an eye on where they were going.

"I may know someone that can help." Marinette looked at him like electricity had shot through her.

He gave her a weird look and she rolled her eyes. "Tikki."

"Who's… Tikki?" The name played on his tongue.

"It's not important. I just know she can help." Marinette smiled and released his arm."I'll be back."

He grabbed her wrist before she could run away from him and she fell backwards, causing him to fall as well. She landed in his lap with her back pressed to his chest. She blushed and her breath caught.

"Can I come with you?" He whispered into her ear and his breath caressed her ear.

She bit her lip and brought her thighs together. "Can- can you-"

"Stop?" His breath hitched, as he felt her squirm on his lap.

She cleared her throat. "Yes."

Adrien smirked with something dangerous lurking in his eyes and he let her go. She stumbled to her feet and tried to catch her breath and get her emotions under control.

"You're-" She cleared her throat and straightened the skirt of her dress.

"Dashing? Handsome? Perfect?" Adrien started listing descriptive words he had heard from women before.

"Dangerous." Her blue eyes flickered to his stunned green ones.

"That's-" Adrien lost his words. "That's a new one."

Marinette flashed him a smile and began slowly walking away.

"You never answered me." Chat chased after her.

She looked back at him and bit her lower lip with a smile. "I didn't say no, did I?" She turned back around and walked fast.

"She'll be the death of me." Adrien spoke under his breath with a smirk and sped up to catch up to her.


	8. Chapter 8

They stopped in an empty alley and she tied her red mask over her eyes and he tied his black mask over his.

Ladybug ran past building after building and Chat Noir followed close on her heels.

Ladybug stood in front of a tall building that was a pale grey color. The door was white with steel handles. She threw the door open and walked into a lavish office. In elegant black script against a scarlet wall behind the front desk read, 'We make dreams comes true'. Chat looked at the writing with a skeptical expression.

"Where are we?" He bent down to her ear and whispered with his arms crossed across his chest.

Ladybug smiled and walked up to the man at the front desk. "Hello." Ladybug waved.

"Hello. Do you have an appointment?" The man in a black suit spoke while pulling out a black scheduling book.

"I do not, but if you could just tell Tikki that Ladybug is here…" Ladybug began to speak when a girl with red hair, wearing a red A-line dress came bursting out of an office.

"Ladybug! It's been so long!" The woman enveloped her in a hug and Chat backed up with his arms in the air.

"Hi, Tikki." Ladybug smiled and hugged her back with her eyes shut.

"Hello and who's this?" She looked past Ladybug at Chat Noir. Tikki let her go and walked over to him.

She circled around him with a finger to her chin and an arm across her chest. "I can work with this."

She sized him up and he smirked at her before taking her hand, bowing, and kissing the back of her hand. "And so well mannered too." She smiled at him and fluttered her lashes.

"Yeah." Ladybug rolled her eyes at the spectacle. "I actually came here to talk about someone else."

"Oh really?" Tikki turned around to face Ladybug. "Follow me." She walked off into her office and they followed her.

Her office walls were cream and there were hints of a deep wine red color in the items decorating it. Her desk was white and her chair, a lavish red.

"Please, sit." Tikki gestured to the two chairs in front of her desk.

Ladybug and Chat sat in them and looked at her.

"So, who is it you wanted to speak about?" Tikki intertwined her fingers on top of her desk.

"It's Plagg. He's being unreasonable. He wants to tell us what routine to do and we really work better if we wing it. We're stumbling, tripping, and uncoordinated. I even-" Ladybug's eyes filled with panic at the memory.

"She fell. Luckily, I caught her before she could hit the concrete." Chat spoke up to finish what she couldn't and he set a reassuring hand on her back.

"Look, I know you can reason with him more than anyone. He listens to you. If you could just-" Ladybug begged her with pleading eyes.

Tikki sighed and leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. "He doesn't always listen to my reasoning. He has to want to. I can try… but there's no guarantee that it will work in your favor."

"But she alm-" Chat flew to the seat of his hair and gripped the arm rests with panic in his eyes.

Tikki held up a finger in the air. "I understand. Plagg is a stubborn individual and an interesting one. I can only try. Her falling should have shook his senses to let you do you, but this whole…" She waved her hand around the room. "thing could be getting to his head. I'll talk to him, but no promises."

"Thank you, Tikki. That's all I ask." Ladybug sighed a breath of relief.

"You're welcome. I hope to see you guys at the show. It should be a spectacular one this time." Tikki smiled and walked them out. "I'll call Plagg on my lunch. If he doesn't answer than I'll just have to pay him a little visit, hm?"

"It was nice meeting you." Chat bowed to her, as they left.

Tikki giggled and shook her head at Chat. "I see you're Plagg's new act. He picked a good one." She smiled warmly at him and he gave her a giant model smile.

Ladybug walked beside Chat Noir and looked over at him. "So?"

"She's nice. Where did you meet her?" Chat peered at her from the corner of his eye.

"When I was doing what I do on the street… she stopped by. Told me she could help me, but Plagg had already sold me on his show. I pushed her offer to the side, but kept her as a friend. She told me she'd help me if I ever needed it. That she'd always be there."

Chat looked at her with interested eyes. "So, you keep in touch?"

"Yep. She's not only a good friend, but she's also my mentor." Ladybug spun in a circle. "She helped me learn most of my dance moves. She's a beautiful dancer."

Chat smirked and pulled her close to his side. "And so are you, m'Lady."

Ladybug blushed and got lost in his emerald eyes. He yanked her into an alley and pushed her against a white brick wall. His hand swept loose midnight hair from her face and she looked up to him through her dark lashes.

He searched her blue bell eyes and crashed his lips down onto hers with wild abandon. He picked her up, hitching her skirt to her mid thighs and she draped her arms around his neck, loosely. His tongue sought entrance and she let him. They stayed kissing in the alleyway for a while, until Ladybug pulled her lips away from his soft ones.

"We should get back." She smiled at him and rested her forehead against his.

"Go to dinner with me." Chat closed his eyes and opened them slowly to look into her blue ones. "As Adrien and Marinette. I'd be honored if you would join me."

"I would love that." Ladybug smiled and gently kissed him on the lips.

He set her down, letting each of her feet touch the ground, one at a time. "I know the perfect place."

Ladybug smiled at him with swollen red lips and let him take her hand in his and lead her back to the abandoned building they stayed in to get ready for dinner.


	9. Chapter 9

Marinette untied her mask at her vanity and brushed on charcoal shaded eyeshadow and some eyeliner. She put her hair up in a bun and let some of her hair fall and frame her face. She set a crystal comb into the side of her bun and stood up, pressing her hands down her deep red mermaid gown. He had told her to dress, as nice as, possible. She had made the dress years ago and had never had a chance to wear it. She opened up a red lipstick and swiped it along the curves of her lips. She pressed her lips together, leaning into the mirror, and closed the lid.

A knock sounded at her door and she opened it to find Adrien standing in a black suit that was tailored to him. Her mouth fell open at the way his green eyes stood out against all of the black.

"I-" Marinette cleared her throat. "Ready?"

"Whenever you are." He held out his elbow and she tentatively reached out to loop her arm with his.

He walked her out the front doors and led her towards a fancy restaurant that was nearby.

Marinette looked up at the tall white building and her mouth fell open in shock. It was beautifully architecture. The hardware on the doors were gold. Filigree accented each rounded curve and fluted edge of each panel within the building's design. The name of the restaurant was elegantly scripted in gold on a black rectangular background.

Adrien smiled over at her and used his finger to close her mouth.

He opened the door for her. "After you, m'lady." He bowed and held a hand out to gesture towards the door.

"Thank you, monsieur." Marinette curtsied and walked through the heavy door.

It opened up to a lavish dining space. It was decorated in creams and gold tones with hints of shades of black.

"Do you have a reservation?" The man at the front desk asked.

"Oui, two under the name Adrien Agreste." He spoke in a fluid manner that made Marinette's heart beat fast.

"Right this way." The man took them up to a terrace. "As you requested, Monsieur."

"Merci." Adrien held out the lavish gold and cream chair for Marinette.

She swept the skirt of her dress beneath her and sat down, before he pushed her in.

Adrien rushed over to his seat and sat down.

"Here is the wine list and a waiter will be here shortly with the menu. Have a wonderful night." The man bowed and took his leave.

Adrien looked the wine list over with a finger to his bottom lip.

"Did you come here often?" Marinette looked at him and then peered at everything around them.

It all seemed so fancy. The stars lit up the sky above them and Marinette took them in.

"I used to come here every so often." Adrien answered after a moment. "Red, rose, or white?"

"Rose." Marinette rested her chin on her hand and watched the subtle movements he made.

The waiter came by and dropped off the menus. "Did you want to start with some wine?"

"Chateau D'Esclans Garrus Rose, s'il vous plait." Adrien fluidly spoke and handed the wine list back to him.

"Bottle, Monsieur?" The waiter looked at him curiously.

"Oui." Adrien smiled and looked at Marinette from the corner of his eye.

Her lips parted and her heart sped up. He smirked at her, as the waiter left them.

"I believe this is your menu." He held one of them out to her.

"I-uh-you-" She was at a loss for words. "How?"

Adrien shrugged with a smile. "I moved the money I had earned through my father into a different account that he has no way of finding or getting his hands on."

 _You Are the Reason_ by Calum Scott played over the terrace from somewhere nearby and Adrien stood up and held out his hand. "Care to dance?"

"Here?" Marinette's eyes went wide.

"Here." Adrien smiled at her with lowered sultry forest eyes.

Marinette's lips parted and she shyly took his hand. He pulled her to her feet and to him. Adrien spun her around and caught her with a hand on her waist. He held her close and rocked with her back and forth in a circle. Strings of lights hung above them and everything felt like a dream to her.

He spun her out and back in again and her hands fell to his chest, as he caught her. He looked into her blue bell eyes and she got lost in his.

"You look absolutely stunning tonight, Mari." Adrien smiled down at her and caught her lips with his hand on her cheek.

The waiter walked over and set their glasses onto the table and poured a bit of wine into each one. Adrien noticed and led them back to the table to order their meals.

Marinette sat and looked at him. Adrien searched her eyes. "What?"

"Just-" Marinette sighed and let the waiter set her meal in front of her and watched Adrien back up a bit for his to be sat down, as well. "This is all so…"

"Perfect, lavish, too much?" Adrien kept listing things that he thought she would say.

"Beautiful." Marinette got lost in the stars and the atmosphere of the place.

"I'm glad you approve." Adrien smiled and picked up her hands to kiss the backs of them.

"It is too much though." Marinette lightly laughed.

"Only the best for, m'Lady." Adrien smirked at her. "Next time we'll go to a quiet cafe."

"Next time?" Marinette looked up from her salad at him.

"If you'd give me the honor." Adrien smiled a warm smile at her and rubbed the back of his neck.

Marinette blushed. "I'd love to do this again… with you."

Adrien smiled and started to eat his magret de canard.

They walked back into the rundown building to find Plagg waiting.

"Where have you two been? And without masks too?" Plagg was livid with his arms crossed across his chest and his right foot taping.

 **Song: You Are the Reason by Calum Scott**


	10. Chapter 10

**Note: Chapter 10 went missing randomly from this story. So, here it is again. :/**

Marinette and Adrien looked at Plagg and back at each other. Adrien cleared his throat and spoke first.

"I wanted to take her out to dinner." Adrien had a charmed expression on his face.

"Yes. To talk the routine over." Marinette chimed in with an equally charming smile.

"Well, I don't like you going out without your masks. People will figure out who you are." Plagg scolded them.

Marinette and Adrien nodded. Plagg's eyes grew wide when realization hit him.

"Wait! Do you two know each other?" Plagg pointed his finger between them. "I mean-" He rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You removed your masks. So, you now know- who-" He couldn't wrap his head around it.

"Plagg…" Adrien grabbed hold of his shoulder. "Let's go to your office and talk." He led him towards his office, looked over his shoulder and winked at Marinette.

She quietly giggled with a hand over her mouth and the her other arm crossed across her chest. She went to her room to change into a satin scarlet bodysuit that sculpted around her hips and upper thighs. She tied her red mask onto her ocean hued eyes.

Adrien sat Plagg in his chair and got him water. "How long?" Plagg stared off into space.

"Not long." Adrien sighed and fell into the office chair across from his desk and used a hand to rub his eyes.

"Not long?" Plagg set the cup down on his desk. "Like how long?"

Adrien sighed deeper in frustration. "I found her upset and I told her about some personal matters. I found out she was someone I had left behind. Had thought I'd left behind. She dropped her mask and I dropped mine." Adrien looked at Plagg's expression. His mouth had fallen open. "I've known this girl for quite some time in a way."

"I-" Plagg was at a loss for words. "I don't know what to say right now."

"Just don't say anything." Adrien rolled his eyes and pushed himself up and out of the chair with his palms on the arms of the chair. "I'm gonna go practice the routine with Ladybug."

Adrien walked off to his room to change. He stepped inside his room and removed his suit coat and undid his button down shirt. He removed his slacks and threw on tight knit pants. Adrien tied on his black mask and smirked in the mirror as Chat Noir. He walked out of the room and made his way to the ring.

Ladybug was already up in the air and spinning around in her silk fabric. She sat on it like it was a swing with one foot out with her toes pointed. She spun and dropped back, before rolling down the fabric to meet him on the ground.

"So?" Ladybug smiled up at him and held onto her silk with one hand. She leaned into him and let her weight fall forward, while she stabilized herself with the silk in her hand.

He extended and hooked his pole to the rig. She tapped his shoulder blade and spun him around to face her. His eyes went wide,as she looked at him with bedroom eyes. "Hi." She smiled at him in a flirtatious way.

Chat swallowed hard. "Hi." He awkwardly waved.

She dropped the silk and slowly ran both of her hands from his shoulders to his chest and pushed him back against the ropes that hung on a wall, dragging her feet slowly along the ground and moving her hips in a flirtatious way. He held his palms out behind him to catch him against the wall. She smirked up at him and turned around in a quick pivot on her feet and put her back to him. She swayed her hips back and forth against his hips and he tried everything in his power to keep his composure, as she slid down him into a crouch before bending her back and coming back up to be standing again. She spun around again and raised his hands above his head with hers and pinned him, running her knee up between his legs and she watched his face flush. His breathing quickened and he yanked his hands from her grasp and held her by the small of her back and dipped her torso back and moved her from right to left, before leaning into her and trailing kisses down her neck. He spun them around and pinned her to the wall with her hands above her head. She panted and looked up at him with bedroom eyes. He was intoxicating. The beautiful dinner and the way he looked at the moment took her over.

He touched under her chin with a curled index finger and touched his thumb to her chin and raised her to look at him. His eyelids grew heavy and a smirk formed on his lips. Her lips parted and her chest rose and fell. He flicked her top lip with his tongue and she whimpered. "I got you right where I want you, Bugaboo." He gave her a dangerous expression and spun away from her to his pole and swung up it and let it pull him into the air.

Ladybug's knees shook and her legs gave out and she fell to the ground, shaking. Heat rose in her body from her toes to her head and she pressed her thighs together and watched him spin around in a wide circle, smiling at her, feeling triumphant.

Plagg shook his head from the window with a laugh before turning back to his ringing office phone.

"Hello. Thank you for calling Cirque du L'amour. This is Plagg speaking." Plagg spoke into the phone and threw his feet up on his desk.

"Plagg?" A familiar female voice came over the receiver and Plagg dropped his feet from the desk and his eyes went wide. "Tikki?"

Ladybug spun around Chat in a wide circle and reached up to to tangle her ankles in the red fabric. She widened her legs out into a split and continued to spin around him with her arms out.

"What are you doing?" Chat's mouth fell open at the sight.

She swung up and grabbed the silk above her and went into a upright split. "What do you mean?" She acted casual.

Chat smirked and swung at her to catch her and her legs wrapped around his hips. He held her with one arm and his pole with the other and began to trail kisses along her neck. "You're gonna kill me." He nibbled and sucked on a spot on her neck and she melted. She held onto him and he untangled her ankles from her fabric with his one hand.

She gave into him, as his kisses moved along her shoulder.

"Who went to see Tikki?!" Plagg yelled up at them and Chat nearly dropped her. He caught her fast and yanked her to him and her eyes went wide as she quickly clung to his shoulders and neck.

Chat lowered them with a groan and set her on the ground.

 **Song: High Heels by JoJo**


	11. Chapter 11

"You were being unreasonable." Ladybug stepped away from Chat and defended her decision.

"I just wanted you guys to have a great show. Routines are important." Plagg tried to reason with her.

Chat shook his head. "It's not going to be a great show if you don't just let us do our own thing. We work better if we wing it." Chat spoke with one hand and the other on his hip.

"Okay you prove to me that you shouldn't have a routine and I'll drop it. I know you fell…" Plagg pointed towards Ladybug and she flinched. "Just run through it one more time for me."

Ladybug sighed and rolled her eyes and looked up at Chat. "Alright, one more time." As she walked past him she touched his shoulder and whispered in his ear, while Plagg sat down to watch. "If I fall again, catch me, please." She begged him with worried eyes.

"I would never dream of not, m'Lady." Chat winked at her with a smirk.

Ladybug smiled and went over to put the song on. _Puppeteer_ rang out into the dusty air.

They got into a starting position like Plagg wanted. Where her arm was in the air and she stood in front of him and he held one side of her waist with his right hand and the other he slowly drug down her raised arm till he grabbed the other side of her waist and spun her fast out from him. She slightly stumbled after gracefully spinning out with her hands above her head. Chat cringed and looked at her worried.

She smiled and licked her lips. Chat used his pole to dance and kicked end of it to send it up and over to the other hand, before he did a backflip. Ladybug spun back towards him and he caught her. He dipped her and flung her back up. He spun her out next to him and they began to do some quick movements with their feet before he grabbed her hand and spun her into him. He spun her out towards her silk fabric and he went over to attach his pole to the hook. She clumsily stumble to the fabric and wrapped her right wrist and was pulled up. He jumped onto the pole and held on with one hand, while it yanked him up. They spun after one another. Ladybug flipped her body up the material and wrapped an ankle, letting it go out behind her and she arched her back and held one hand out with her foot behind her and the other tucked in. She spun around with a camera worthy smile. Chat spun his body around his pole with it tucked between his torso and thigh. She rolled her body down the silk and it didn't catch. Chat's eyes grew wide and he jumped off of his pole and rolled along the ground. He stopped on the ground and ran over to her. He stood below her, looking up, as she screamed with her arms reaching to grab anything. He caught her and fell to the ground with her on top of him.

"I'm done." Chat glared at Plagg. "You're gonna kill her."

Ladybug clutched to his chest and she buried her face into him and sobbed. Her legs were on either side of his waist.

Plagg sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Show me what you got."

"Give me a break, Plagg! She can't work like this." Chat pointed to a falling apart Ladybug on top of him.

"Alright, tomorrow morning. Be ready." Plagg got up from where he was sitting and went to his office, leaving them.

Chat sighed and ran his fingers through her hair. "You're okay."

"I'm not. I can't keep falling. Every time I feel like I'm closer to dying. It's scary." Her voice came out in quick outbursts.

"C'mon." Chat got up, holding the small of her back and he carried her to his room. She hugged him and pressed her lips to his shoulder with tears going down her face and her body shook uncontrollably.

He sat her on his bed and she looked up at him. "I'm sorry." Ladybug rubbed her eyes and Chat got up to close his door, before removing his mask.

"Mari." He sat next to her and untied her mask and removed it. "It's fine."

Marinette looked up at his and ran her fingertips along his forearm. She bit his lower lip and Adrien looked down at her red lips. He leaned down and captured them with his. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and pulled him on top of her more. He shifted his legs and held himself above her on his elbows. She wrapped her legs around his hips and deepened the kiss. Her fingers tangled into his messy blonde hair and he sighed in bliss at the sensation. Adrien loved when someone would run their fingers through his hair. He kissed her more rapidly and ran a hand up from her hip to her chest.

He kissed the corner of her mouth to her jawline and down her neck to her shoulder. "How does this come off?" He whispered in her ear, as his fingers skirted along the ruffled cuff that wrapped around her thigh at her hip.

Marinette smirked and raised a hand to unsnap her right strap from her shoulder. Adrien smirked and ran kisses along where the strap had been at her shoulder and she sighed and arched her back. His kisses trailed down the middle of her chest, as his hand held the small of her back.

Plagg rubbed his eyes with one hand. He was exhausted with all of the planning and setting everything up. The show was coming up and they still didn't have a definitative routine worked out. It was all too stressful for him. His phone rang and he picked it up.

"Plagg?" Tikki's voice rang out of the phone again.

"I had them run through the routine again. She fell again." Plagg spoke irritated.

"Why did you have them do it again? I specifically told you not to do that!" Tikki was livid with him. "That's it. I'm coming down there!"

"You really don't have to. We're fine. They're gonna show me their concept tomorrow morning." Plagg spoke into the phone and looked through the window in his office at the hanging aerial gear.

"Plagg…" Tikki sighed. "That's just it. They work better if they improvise. Let them improvise. Stop making them show you what they've got. You know what they've got. They'll be fine. Let them be."

"You're right." Plagg sighed and looked down at the show's ad on his desk. "You're right, Tikki."

"Good. Now I can't wait to see the show, mon cherie." Tikki flirted through the phone.

"I got you a spot right up front." Plagg smiled into the phone.

"Good." Tikki warmly smiled and hung up the phone.

Adrien held Marinette to him under the black sheets and she sighed and cuddled against him with a hand on his chest.

"You're amazing." Marinette smiled and closed her eyes with another sigh.

Chat gave her a cocky grin and he was filled with confidence.

Marinette sat up and smirked at him. "Don't let it get to your head." She hit his chest with a hand.

He rubbed the spot with his hand and winced at her. "Ow…" He chuckled at her.

She smiled, brushed the hair behind an ear, and leaned down to kiss him. He smirked and pulled her on top of him again and she squealed and melted into him.

"Where have you been, Adrien?" Marinette sighed and laid her head on his chest with her palms on either side.

"Near you." Adrien sighed and kissed the top of her head. "Always near you."

Marinette blushed and closed her eyes.


	12. Chapter 12

A giant black and red tent sat out in a park. The stars shone bright in the sky and Marinette did her makeup in a silver antique handheld mirror. She brushed on shades of reds onto her eyelids and did a dramatic black wing eyeliner. Marinette slid on her lace red mask. She uncapped a wine red lipstick and brought it to her lips.

Chat came up behind her and grabbed her hand that held the lipstick.

"Wait." He smirked and curved around her to kiss her on the lips, holding her hand away from her.

She sighed and melted into it. He pulled away slowly and she followed after him, before he was too far for her to.

"Not fair, minou." Ladybug glared at him playfully.

"Not everything is fair, my love." Chat winked at her and shrugged on a black vest over his bare chest. He dipped the fingers on his right hand into a pot of black body paint and smeared some across his chest.

Ladybug watched him in the middle of gliding over the curve of her cupids bow and her lips parted.

Chat looked into a mirror and styled his hair with some gel and caught her looking at him. "What?" He stood up straight and posed for her.

Ladybug shook her head. "You- you're something else." She giggled and finished coloring in her pouty lips.

"That I am." Chat smirked and clicked his tongue before running at her and picking her up behind her knees and she held herself up by his shoulders and looked down at him and shook her head.

"You're incorrigible." Ladybug laughed and rolled her eyes.

He slowly let her slide down him and her lips caught his on the way to the floor. "You ready to put on a show?"

Ladybug straightened her red satin bodysuit that had a thin tulle skirt around half of it that attached to her hips. She wore sparkling black tights and red flats that laced up her calves.

She looked over his black knit pants, black leather vest, black choker with a gold bell, black leather cat ears, and black satin mask. "All you need is a tail." She smiled up at him and rang his bell with her pointer finger in a playful manner.

"It'd get in the way, m'Lady." Chat smirked at her. "But later… I'll see about adding it, just for you."

Ladybug's mouth fell open and she laughed hysterically. "Okay… kitty." She pushed him away by his chest and walked away from him swaying her hips.

Chat smirked with a chuckle and ran after her.

"You guys ready?" Plagg looked at them in a full black suit that was accented with neon green. He wore a black top hat with a neon green ribbon around the base. "We got a full house tonight."

"Ready as we'll ever be." Ladybug shrugged and looked up at Chat.

"We're ready." Chat punched the air with a smirk.

Ladybug rolled her eyes at him. "We've got this."

"Good. You go on in ten. Make us proud. Tikki's out there." Plagg smiled and lit a cigar.

Ladybug and Chat smiled at each other and stretched till it was time to go on stage. Ladybug held her hand out and Chat slid a CD into her hand. One that wasn't in Plagg's plan.

"Let's show him what we can really do." Ladybug's blue eyes filled with determination and Chat gave her a mirrored expression.

 _Chewing Gum_ by Nina Nesbitt began to play. Chat stood in the ring, as the lights came down on him. Ladybug stood across from him and dragged one foot behind the other and slinked her way towards him. He smirked at her and grabbed her by the waist and spun her so that her back was against his torso. They moved their hips together in a locking circular motion to the beat and his hand rested on her stomach. His lips ghosted her shoulder and he spun her old, but kept her hand in his. She spun back into him and he dipped her back slowly and skated a hand over her body from her neck down the middle of her breasts. She parted her lips with her eyes closed and he yanked her back up to him and flung her out. She spun out to the silk hammock that came down for her. Chat swung his pole over his head and slammed it down, before he let it take him up into the sky. Ladybug sat in her hammock and let it yank her up beside him. He curled around his pole and spun freely around it. Ladybug flipped upside down and let one leg free and out at the side while she arched her back and let her arms go out at the sides. She brought her leg back in and spun, getting tangled in the silk. She spun herself out of the tangle and he used his foot to propel him around her in a wide circle, before he leaned back letting go with one hand. Ladybug brought herself back up and dropped and let the silk fabric catch her underneath her arms. Chat panicked before he realised she knew what she was doing. He calm down and held onto his metal pole with his thighs and used his core muscles to lean back with his arms out. Chat brought himself back up and caught her with an open arm. They spun around together in eachothers arms and she let the silk slip over her arms and off of her. Chat kept hold of her and they spun slowly. She leaned back away from him with an arched back and he skirted her chest with his lips in a seductive manner, before her felt his feet touch the ground. He yanked her up and spun her out. She began to do a quick step to the beat and he mirrored her. She spun around with her head back and hands above her head before he front flipped and slid to catch her. He caught her by the waist and dipped her, leaning in, barely brushing her lips with his. He breathed heavy and so did she. Both of their chests moving together in a quick yet steady rhythm. She looked into his green eyes and bit her lip. He suddenly smirked at her, as the crowd's cheers erupted around them.

"Thank you for attending Cirque du L'amour!" Plagg walked in front of them and took the ring with a bow.

The crowd grew loud and slowly filed out of the tent.

Plagg and Tikki walked up to Chat and Ladybug, who were still holding each other and looking into each others eyes.

"Good job, you two!" Plagg tried to bring them out of their daydream.

"Oh, leave them alone." Tikki crossed her arms and smiled at the two of them.

Chat held her face and brought his lips to hers and she deepened the kiss. Nothing else mattered. It was only them.

"I wish they would have told me they were changing the song though." Plagg scratched the top of his head beneath his hat.

"You never know when inspiration will strike, Plagg." Tikki shrugged with a smile. "C'mon. You can talk to them later. Leave them be."

She touched his shoulder and lead him out of the tent.

 **Song: Chewing Gum by Nina Nesbitt**


	13. Chapter 13: NSFW

"You scared me you know that? When you let yourself fall." Chat searched her eyes and kissed her swiftly on the lips again. Her red lipstick stained his mouth and she giggled at him.

"Nah… I had it." Ladybug smiled at him. "Plus, I knew you'd catch me."

He smirked and pulled her closer to him, picked her up and wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her off to the seats. He sat and she kept her legs wrapped around his waist. Her tongue collided with his and his fingers held her face. She touched his shoulders and pushed his vest down his arms. He let his hands fall to his sides and his vest drop. Chat brought his hand back to her face and kissed her harder. She sighed and tilted her head back and he left a trail of kisses down her neck and she bit her bottom lip. He undid the clasp at the back of her outfit and let the straps fall down her upper arms. He pulled down the front and took one of her breasts into his hands and took one of her exposed pink nipples between his lips. She moaned and tangled her fingers in his blonde hair. He sucked and flicked her nipple. Her hips rocked against him and he undid the clasps that were between her legs. Her bodysuit popped open at the bottom and he ran his fingers along her wet folds. He felt her swollen clit and moved his finger in circles on it. She let out a soft moan and bit his shoulder. He groaned and sped his finger up, while he held her by the small of her back.

Her hand fell to his hard cock through his knit pants and she rubbed her hand along him.

"Marinette." He purred against her shoulder and yanked her closer to him after removing his hand from her.

She grabbed onto his biceps and her eyes went wide. He captured her mouth and tangled his tongue with hers. She tasted of sugar and pastries. Ladybug yanked at the waistband of his knit pants and he sat up some to slide them down. His cock throbbed and he moaned, as her fingers wrapped around it and she began a steady rhythm. Her hand caressing from the base to the head.

Chat bit back a moan and tried to control his hips from moving by planting his feet on the ground. She removed her hand and he whined at the loss of touch, before she held herself up a little by his shoulders and moved her hips in just the right way. He slid into her warm wet core and let out a groan, before biting down on her shoulder to keep quiet. Chat held her close and she began to rock her hips into him and he met her with an equal rhythm.

"Oh, God." Chat moaned against her flesh and held her closer so that he would go deeper.

Ladybug let out a loud moan and pressed her hands behind her on his knees and rocked into him. Her breasts bounced and he captured them in his hands. He ran his thumbs over her nipples and looked at her with seductive emerald eyes. Her lips parted, as she panted and she gave him bedroom eyes.

The fact that they were in a public place turned him on more than normal. Chat ran his hands down her sides to her hips and guided her to go faster and harder. Ladybug's sounds grew louder and louder.

Plagg and Tikki stood outside the tent talking.

"Nice work, letting them do their own thing out there." Tikki smiled at him.

"I guess you were right. They should do their own thing." Plagg sighed and ran a hand through his black hair.

Tikki winked at him and kissed him on the cheek. "You got to learn to let go of the reigns sometime."

Plagg blushed and smirked at her. "Care to join me for dinner? I think they'll be busy for a while." He smiled at her deviously.

Tikki shrugged and took his arm in hers. "I would love to."

Tikki followed him to a nearby cafe.

Ladybug slid the straps back onto her shoulders and refastened the bottom of her bodysuit. She looked in the mirror and fixed her hair and makeup. Chat slid his pants back up and put his vest back on. He cleaned his lips of lipstick and smiled.

"Any more lipstick?" He held his arms out.

Ladybug giggled and rubbed a white cloth along his shoulder. "Now there isn't anymore."

"Good." Chat chuckled and yanked her to him.

She looked up at him. "Thanks for the performance."

"Which one, m'Lady? I believe there were two." He held up two fingers in a peace sign.

Ladybug laughed at him and swatted his fingers away. "The one that brought in money, silly Minou."

"Ah." Chat nodded and rocked on his heels with a cheesy grin. "That one."

"The other one was great too." Ladybug blushed and packed her bag before swinging it over her shoulder.

"I'm glad, Bugaboo." Chat smirked and slung his own bag over his shoulder. "Care to celebrate with a little cabaret again?"

"Why not." Ladybug smiled and took his hand in hers.


	14. Chapter 14

They walked into the lavish red space again and Chat walked her up to the bar. She picked up the skirt of her red dress and sat on the stool.

He grinned and sat next to her. "Order what you like." He gestured to the selection of liquor on the wall.

Ladybug smiled through her red mask and bit her red lip, looking over the selection. She finally chose one and he noticed her look over at him. He smirked and tapped the bar top, never losing eye contact with her.

The bartender came over. "What can I get you?"

"Ladies first." Chat gestured towards her.

"A Rose, s'il vous plait." Ladybug crossed one leg over her thigh and leaned her chin onto her hand with her elbow up onto the bar.

"I'll take Tariquet Bas-Armagnac XO." Chat pulled money from his wallet and passed it to him, after the bartender set their drinks in front of them.

Ladybug sipped on her drink and looked over at the two women dancing and singing on stage in elaborate costumes. "Not the typical cabaret, huh?" She used her drink to point out the two women on stage.

Chat shrugged, "Most nights." He chuckled and took a sip of his drink.

Ladybug knocked him on the shoulder and he nearly spilt his drink. "You make it sound like you come here every night."

"I used to. To get away from my normal life." Chat shrugged and wiped the side of his glass with a napkin.

"I see." She set her drink down on the table and leaned into him, her lips barely touching his. "And did you like what you saw?"

Chat blushed and backed up a bit. "It wasn't like that."

"I'm picking on you." she leaned back onto the chair and took up her drink again.

A cover of the song _Roxanne_ began to play from a new band and singer that had took the stage.

"Care to dance with me again?" Chat set his empty glass down.

"Why not." She downed her drink and set the martini glass down, before taking his hand out to the dance floor.

He took her hand in his and his other hand fell to her waist. He lead her to walk backwards and she followed him. She skirted a foot along the ground behind her and lunged down before he pulled her up and she arched her back into him, as she stood up straight. She lifted a leg into the air and curled it around his hips and he dipped her backwards with his lips tantalizingly close to hers. She could feel his warm breath on her soft lips and her eyes got lost in his. She shifted her shoulders and took her leg off of him and her shoe clicked along the ground, as she stepped down onto it. He shifted her back and forth and moved them sideways, before dipping her dramatically again. He lifted her leg and skirted his hand down her leg to her ankle and he quickly yanked her back up to stand straight. He pressed his forehead to hers and she ran her hands down her breasts to her hips and they spun around each other in a swift motion. He grabbed her by the hip and hand again, dipped her, and swayed her from the right to the left, before yanking her up.

"You can really dance." Ladybug breathed hard, out of breath.

He held her by the back of her neck gently with his lips dangerously close to hers. "As can you, m'Lady."

She spun out of his hold and rotated her hips and clicked her fingers in the air above her head. He did a few quick steps and drug his feet, as he circled around her and grabbed her by the waist again.

They continued to dance the tango until the song ended. Chat breathed hard and her breathing matched his. "Care for another drink?"

"I'd love that." Ladybug tried to catch her breath and followed him back to the bar.

Marinette sat in her room and slipped on a black lace mask that covered her eyes. She set a pair of black cat ears in her curled midnight hair. She brushed on red lipstick and brushed down her black see through lace bodysuit. She smirked in the mirror and held a note in her hand. She opened her door and slid the note underneath Chat's door.

She made her way out to the ring and hooked Chat's pole to the clasp.

Adrien looked from the vanity at the piece of cream colored paper on the floor. He picked it up and read it.

 _Meet me at the ring for a surprise._

 _-LB_

He smirked and made his way out of his room to the ring. He stopped when he saw her and his mouth fell open. She was spinning around his pole in the air and she bent back with an arched back and smiled at him with her arms out and one leg curled around his pole. She looked stunning in all black lace with cat ears in her styled hair. _Bloodstream_ by Transviolet played in the background. She leaned back up and spun around his pole gracefully with her arms holding on above her head and her thighs and calves wrapped around the pole. She rocked her hips into the pole and ran a hand through her hair, past the ears. He swallowed hard and watched her slowly come to the ground with the pole. She slowly walked around the pole with one hand gripped around it and she let herself fall and swing around it. She swung her legs up and over her head and held her body up with her hands behind her back and did a full split in the air. His mouth fell open once again at the sight of her movements. She brought her legs together and behind her and clutched the pole between her thighs before bringing her body back up and onto the pole in a slow arched movement. She flicked her hair with her hands on the way up. He bit the side of his thumb with an expression that made her think he wanted to lick her from the ground up and she about lost her concentration on what she was doing.

She let herself drop down the pole and caught herself before she could hit the ground. She inched up the pole with her shins and arms and let herself slowly spin around the pole back down. Her feet touched the ground and she leaned back on the pole and slowly rolled her hips and ran a hand from her chest to between her legs and bit her lip and peered at him through her lashes.

He licked his lips and could feel himself getting harder with every moment of watching her. She slid to the floor into a split. She rolled forward and brought her legs behind her till she was on her hands and knees and she crawled toward him and outreached a finger towards him with a come hither motion. He was transfixed by her. He felt himself getting pulled by her like she was a positive magnet to his negative one. His breathing hitched as she crawled up his shins, to his thighs, to his hips, to his chest with the palms of her hands until she reached up on her toes. She brushed her lips against his.

"Wanna play?" She swished her hips and sank down till her heels hit her bottom and she peered up at him with a sexy smile, hooking her fingers into the loops of his jeans.

"How can I say no." Adrien whined and bit his lower lip at the sight of her big blue eyes through the black lace and she popped open his belt buckle with her thumb.

Chat Noir stood in the ring and was working out a new routine with Ladybug when the front door flung open.

"I'm sorry. I tried to stop him." Plagg held his hands in front of him with pleading eyes and went into his office and shut the door.

"Adrien!" A familiar voice rang out and Chat cringed and immediately dropped from the pole, his head snapped down in pain and he grabbed his ankle. Ladybug ran to his side and clutched his shoulders.

"Adrien Agreste!" A man in a white suit stood at the side of the ring and looked at him with fierce stone cold eyes.

Ladybug's mouth fell open at the sight of Gabriel Agreste. Chat struggled to stand up straight and hopped, taking pressure off of his ankle.

"When I sent you to Plagg, I didn't think it meant you wouldn't be living at home. You hurt your ankle." Gabriel frowned at his son.

"I'm fine, father." Chat looked away from him and didn't meet his eyes.

Ladybug's face grew confused and she looked between Chat and Gabriel.

"I believe I said that you were to live at the house with me and come here when you were needed." Gabriel held his hands behind his back.

"I know, father." Chat looked down at the ground.

"I'm gonna go have a word with this Plagg about our deal, while you pack up your things." Gabriel held his head high and he walked to Plagg's office.

It hit Ladybug full force and she backed up from Chat. "You said…"

Chat flashed a look at her, sighed, and reached out to her.

"No. You lied to me!" Ladybug's sapphire eyes filled with tears. "You told me you ran away! That you found Plagg when he was advertising in the streets!"

Chat ran his outstretched hand through his hair. "My father-" He sighed. "He sent me to speak with him when he noticed him on the streets. Told me it would be good for publicity. I do love to dance and do aerial pole. It was my way out. My ticket to freedom. I-"

"You LIED to me, Adrien!" Ladybug pointed to her chest with a hand on her hip and tears rolled down her flushed cheeks. She hadn't heard a word that he had said. She was too focused on what his father had said. "Ya know what? I don't need this." She began to walk away from him.

Adrien jumped up, hit play on the stereo. _Stay_ by Zedd and Alessia Cara began to play. He grabbed her wrist and spun her into him. She pushed off his chest and began to try to walk away, but he slid towards her and grabbed her by the hips. She shimmied her hips and spun out of his reach. He did a few quick steps and slid his feet along the ground in a series of smooth movements that made it appear that he was skating on air. She jumped and let the waves of motion go through her from her feet, to her hips, to her chest. She shimmied her toes into each other and out and then pumped her fist in the air before jumping and catching herself on the palm of her hand and doing a one handed spin in the air, upside down. Chat did a few quick steps and did a backflip. She pushed off to her feet and began to rock on her feet in a wide stance and did a body roll. He slid beside her and got behind her, held her hips, rested his chin on her shoulder, and popped his hips with hers in sync to the beat. Her breathing came out in pants and his chest rose and fell in time with hers. They body rolled together and he spun her out from him and pulled her back into him. Her lips mere inches from his.

"Just listen to me, please." Chat pleaded with soul filled eyes.

"Alright, you have one chance." Ladybug caught her breath and parted from him.

Chat stood up and awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

 **Song: Roxanne from The Moulin Rouge Soundtrack**

 **Stay by Zedd and Alessia Cara**

 **Bloodstream by Transviolet**


	15. chapter 15

Plagg sat in his chair and wiped sweat off of his brow. Gabriel sat across from him with all of the poise in the world, but Plagg could tell that his jaw was offset and he appeared to be livid.

"I believe we had a deal." Gabriel scowled at the nervous man across from him. "He'd be in your little show if you let him stay in my home and you would put my name on the posters. I didn't specify where or how big. All you had to do was have it on there. Somewhere."

"Monsieur Agreste with all due respect." Plagg started. "I started this show fifteen years ago. If you have a problem with me not playing by your rules…" He crossed his arms and leaned forward. "I suggest you leave with your son. Ladybug will do fine by herself. She always has and always will." He waved Gabriel off with his eyes closed.

"Listen here, you incompetent fool." Gabriel grabbed Plagg's collar and yanked him close to his face. "My son is talented! He can do circles around your Ladybug."

Plagg shrugged with a smirk. "Then…" He held out his hand for a shake.

Gabriel scowled at him and dropped him into the chair.

"I get your son. But- he has to stay here under my roof." Plagg peered into his eyes. His eyes held something darker behind it and Gabriel would have to be dumb to not see it with all of his business experience.

"What's the catch?" Gabriel looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"No, catch." Plagg looked up and away. "Just ten of your son's years. Traveling with me. And your name goes on the posters of him." He smiled a toothy grin.

Gabriel sighed, pinched the bridge of his nose, and slapped his hand to Plagg's in agreeance. "Deal."

Ladybug flung her red mask onto her vanity and Chat walked in behind her into her room. He slid his black mask down his nose and sighed, looking at the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry." Adrien dropped his shoulders.

"Sorry? SORRY!" Marinette turned on her heel to face him. She shoved him in his chest with her palm on his chest. "You ran away, my ass! What the hell was that? Huh?"

Adrien sighed and let her beat him in the chest until she melted to tears against him. He clutched her to him and let her cry it out.

"I was with my father at a photoshoot near by and saw Plagg. I watched him standing there, holding out a poster for his show. That's when my father noticed and came up to me and put a hand on my shoulder." Adrien looked past her and at the wall behind her.

 _It was sunny out and there was a cool breeze. Adrien stood in his father's newest creation and for some reason, his father had tagged along for this shoot. He was a busy man, but Adrien didn't mind have his father around, since his father barely had time for him._ _He yawned between photos and Vincent growled at him. "This man needs more energy!"_ _"Sorry, Vincent." Adrien tried to perk up, but he was just so tired of doing the same mundane things over and over again._ _"Let's start again." Vincent held his camera up to his eye._ _Adrien stuck one foot out and a hand in one pocket with fingertips running through the front of his hair and he let the sunlight trickle onto his face._ _That's when he heard a voice off in the distance._ _"Cirque du L'amour! Step right up! I need new talent!" Plagg stood up on a box and started holding out posters and smiling at people passing by him._ _Adrien focused on the man across the street. He had been working on aerial pole for months without his father finding out, but he had gotten caught recently._ _"Adrien. Focus." Gabriel's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he snapped back into model mode._ _His father looked from his son to where he had been distracted and he rubbed his chin._ _"You want to go work for that man?" His father casually pointed Plagg out. The idea of the Agreste name on a aerial act could be good. It would bring more people in and spread his name further if he were to travel out of country._ _"What?" Adrien was shocked and confused._ _"I see you were very interested in that man across the street. Could be good. If your name was on the posters… it would travel across seas, OCEANS, even." Gabriel got a determined yet dark expression over his face._ _"Father." Adrien looked at him and lost his pose that he was throwing for Vincent and he could hear the photographer getting irritated._ _"Take fifteen. Go talk to that man." Gabriel pointed the man out and turned on his heel to sit in a chair._ _Adrien's eyes shifted back and forth and he made his way across the street to Plagg._

Adrien came back to reality and sighed. "It was only after I had talked to Plagg… that my father stepped in and made a deal with him. Plagg told him he would do it, but I never saw him implement it. Never saw my real name on a poster or even a small ad in the paper." He ran a hand through his hair.

Marinette finally looked up at him with red puffy eyes. "So, this whole time… everyone knew who YOU were?"

Adrien held her at arm's length. "No, like I said, Plagg never put my name on anything. He never outed me. The only name people know me by is Chat Noir here. Not Adrien Agreste."

"So, your father is here because he broke some deal?" Marinette wiped her eyes and stepped back from him.

Adrien shrugged. "With my father, I never know. He's unpredictable and I still know nothing about him. I would assume that's what this is about, yes."

"And you're just gonna let him take you away?" Marinette grabbed his upper arms and got close to his face.

He leaned away from her with a weird expression and looked behind him, worried. "Yeesss?"

She shoved him away from her. "Why let him win? If you love doing this so much? Fight!"

Adrien sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "My father owns a lot of things. He has his hands dipped in high places. It's not that simple for me. I can fight all I want. Say all I want, but I never win. He always has something to hold over my head."

"So… what's he holding over you now?" Marinette looked at him with a curious expression.

Adrien looked away. "My appearance of looking perfect? My reputation? My name? And…" he bit his lower lip and looked into her blue eyes. "My money."

Marinette's eyes widened. "I should have known that was how you got so much money. Your father drops it into your account."

Adrien sighed and nodded. "He's been paying for me to do this. Under the table. Part of this glorious deal."

"I can't believe you!" Marinette began to hit him in the chest again and pushed him, till his back hit the wall. "Do what YOU want to do! Not what some crazy money mongrel father wants you to do! I don't care how much he pays you!"

"Five grand a day." Adrien bit his lip and didn't meet her eyes.

"Oh my God! Five Grand?" Marinette about sank to the floor, but he caught her by her forearms without looking.

"Five grand." Adrien repeated and cleared his throat. "I could afford way more than a few drinks, bugaboo."

"What the hell?" Marinette's mouth fell open.

That amount of money made her realise how different they were. How far away from her reach he was. How it would never work in the world they lived in. Her parents made that in a week. Hell, they only made that if they were lucky with their small bakery business.

"I don't even know what to say to you." Marinette mumbled and looked down at the ground.

Her door flung open and Plagg stepped into the room. "Your father is requesting you." He looked unamused and signalled behind him with his thumb.

Adrien sighed and let her go. He walked out the door and Marinette sunk to the floor with her feet on either side of her. Plagg looked at her concerned and sat down beside her.

"Don't worry, Mari. He's not going anywhere." Plagg put a comforting hand on her upper back.

Marinette looked over at him. "I can't tell if that makes me happy or sad."

Plagg nodded and pulled her closer to him. "Must be confusing for you. But-" He sighed and brushed fingers through her hair. "You two will work it out. You're meant to be. Believe me. I've seen it in your eyes and I've seen it in your performances. The stars have their eyes on you two."


	16. Chapter 16

Adrien walked out of the his room with a bag slung over his shoulder and headed towards the ring where he looked up to see his stern father. He kept his gaze to the ground.

"Look at me when I speak to you." Gabriel's voice echoed off of the walls.

Adrien peered up at him with a sad expression. "Father, I'm really sorry. I just wanted to-"

Gabriel held up a finger to stop him. "Wait till I'm done talking."

Adrien shut his mouth and sighed.

"I talked to Monsieur Plagg. You are to stay here in this…" He waved his hand around the rundown space. "Place. However, you're contracted to him for ten years and my name gets put on your posters. Crowds will know who you are."

"But, I don't want to be known, father." Adrien wined and his shoulders slumped. "Don't you get it?!"

"That's the deal. Otherwise, you can leave that girl behind and come back home. You'll resume your photoshoots, piano, lessons in proper etiquette, and business." Gabriel stood up straight with attitude.

"Alright, alright." Adrien slumped even more and looked down at his feet. "I'll agree to these terms."

"Thought so." Gabriel pivoted on his feet and turned to walk out of the door. "I'll be watching you, Adrien." The door shut with a loud heavy sound.

Adrien fell to the ground and let his bag drop. He thought about how his name would be out there again. How he would no longer just be Chat Noir. He would now have his famous name mixed with his less famous one.

He gripped his hair with his knees to his chest and began to hyperventilate. His heart raced and his breathing became harsh pants. He let out a scream of frustration.

Marinette's eyes flew open at the sound of Adrien and she looked frantically at Plagg.

"Leave him be." Plagg gripped her shoulders to keep her from running to him. "He needs space. He doesn't have the best father, child. Puts up a front for people."

Marinette looked at Plagg with sorrowful eyes and parted lips.

"His father?" Marinette's throat ran dry.

Adrien punched the concrete floor with his fist until blood covered his soft skin and smeared along the floor.

Marinette cringed, as she heard him punching and yelling something unintelligible.

"He's a man that gets what he wants, no matter the cost. Even if it's his own son." Plagg sighed and tried to ignore the agonized sounds filtering through the door.

"I can't sit here and listen to this anymore." Marinette got up from the ground.

Plagg looked down at the floor. "Just know that he isn't all there."

Marinette nodded and sulked out the door, leaving Plagg thinking alone. Plagg sighed and slowly rose from the ground to go to his office.

She walked out to the ring to find Adrien on the ground, heaving with bloody fists. Marinette walked over to him and grabbed his fist mid-air. "Stop."

Adrien looked up at her with red eyes and a locked up jaw.

"Why should I stop? I've lost everything." Adrien grit the words past his clenched teeth.

"Not everything." Marinette shook her head and looked over his cut up fist.

"Yes, everything!" Adrien yanked his hand away from her and wrapped it in his shirt to stop the bleeding. "I lost you! I lost my anonymity! I lost my freedom!"

"You never had freedom to lose. Your father still had his hands in you being Chat Noir." Marinette pointed out and tried to reach out for him again.

"I got to do what I wanted to do! That is freedom! I got out of that house!" Adrien flung his pointer finger away from him to point at some random place far away.

"And you still get to do what you wanted to." Marinette tried to reason with him.

"Yeah! But with my father's name! Not Chats!" Adrien pointed out in a blind rage. He slammed his fist into a wall and rested his forehead on the back of his bloody fist.

"Chat. Adrien." Marinette walked up behind him and pressed a hand to his spine. "We can figure this out. We can get back at him."

"How do you propose we do that?" Adrien looked over his shoulder at her.

"Well, we need to think of a plan. I might have a few ideas though." Marinette smirked. "Now, let me bandage your fists, Minou."

She yanked him by his black shirt. He followed her to her room.

She pushed him onto her bed by his chest and began to pull out a first aid kit. She cleaned his cuts with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol, before she began to wrap his fists in a bandage. "How's your ankle? Although, assuming the fact that you were able to dance… I'm guessing it's fine."

"I just rolled it weird. It's okay." Adrien sighed and held up his hand and loosened and tightened his grip. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, no more punching concrete and trying to break your hands. You need those and so do I." Marinette smiled and picked on him. "How else are we gonna put on a great show?"

Adrien smirked at her and pulled her in for a hug. "Seriously. Thank you."

Marinette blushed and then melted into his embrace. "Anytime, my kitty."

"Now, let's talk about what we're gonna do." Adrien leaned into her with a smug expression.

"Thought you'd never ask." Marinette smirked back at him.


	17. Chapter 17

"Give me something to work with. What is something your father does that could get him in a lot of trouble?" Marinette looked at Adrien with a determined expression.

He bit his lip. He didn't want to out his father. He looked away from her and didn't meet her eyes.

"This is the only way to gain true freedom, Adrien. Anything. I don't care what it is. I won't judge you or him. It's okay." Marinette smiled at him and rested a hand on his shoulder.

Adrien sighed and opened his mouth to speak, before he closed it again. He shook his head. "My father starves his models. He puts them on strict diets and body shames them when they eat more than allowed and have gained even a centimeter of fat." Adrien cringed and crinkled his eyes shut. "It's only recently that that became a law. Most of the models have eating disorders due to not wanting to let my father down or deal with his criticism."

Marinette cringed at what he said and pulled out her phone to google the law. "He could get a 75,000 euro fine! And be imprisoned for up to six months!" Marinette wiped her head to face him. "Adrien! This is major. We could pull him for this!"

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah.. If my father hasn't paid people to keep quiet."

Marinette looked at him in shock. "Your father- pays… people to not say anything?"

Adrien looked at her with a raised eyebrow. "Well, yeah… if you were doing something illegal and had millions at your disposal… wouldn't you?"

Marinette sighed and let her shoulders fall. "I guess you're right…"

Adrien glared and clenched his fist. "But he hasn't paid me to shut up about it." He shrugged and her eyes shifted back and forth, as she looked at him with her mouth agape. "Yeah, he starved me too. Until… I ended up in the hospital after passing out during a photoshoot."

"You didn't…" Marinette looked at him. "No wonder you seemed a little skinny when I first met you in the rain."

Adrien sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I went to get chocolates. I figured my father wouldn't find out if I snuck out to buy them."

"But your driver…" She looked at him with red eyes.

Adrien shrugged. "It's amazing what money can buy you."

"You paid him to be quiet." Marinette looked down at her hands.

"Learned from the best." He sighed and shrugged.

"I'm sorry, kitty." Marinette hugged him close.

"It's not your fault. I'm okay now." Adrien smiled at her and kissed her on the top of her head. "Now, I'm willing to out my story. If it gains me the freedom I need. Want."

Marinette nodded. "It's a plan." She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and handed it to him with a book. "Write about it."

"I'm gonna need more than one piece, Bugaboo." Adrien sighed and took all of the items.

Marinette grabbed a stack of paper and handed them over to him.

He set the book on his lap and put the papers on top of it and began to write.

Marinette watched him write for an hour and bit the side of her nail. "There's that much?" She looked at the stack of papers. He had filled them all in tiny script.

"My father holds many secrets, Mari. This is just the surface." Adrien sighed with a saddened expression.

Marinette cringed at him and took the papers he held out. "I'll send these to a printer, right away."

"I know the perfect person." Adrien sighed and grabbed his coat. "C'mon, let's go."

Marinette grabbed her coat and followed him out into the streets. They took the metro through town and made their way to a tall building that matched all the other around it. There was nothing fancy about it. Nothing that made it appear to be anything spectacular.

He opened the door and let her in before him. She looked around at all of the orange and blue decor. The flooring and walls were black.

"Can we speak with Nino, please?" Adrien tapped the front desk with his fist, while his other hand rested in his pocket.

"Name?" The woman asked without a smile.

"Adrien, Adrien Agreste." He casually spoke his name like it wasn't a big deal.

"Hang on." She hit the button on the phone and she spoke a few words, before hanging up. "He'll see you."

"Thank you." Adrien grabbed Marinette by the arm and took her back to a hallway of offices. The front walls of each one were glass panes, so it was easy to find him.

"Adrien!" Nino came out of his office and did a secret handshake with Adrien.

"Hey, man!" Adrien smiled and touched his friend's shoulder. "I have a proposition for you."

Marinette clutched the papers in her hands.

"Come on in." Nino let them into his office and shut the door. Immediately all of the sounds of the office evaporated.

"You being an amazing radio dj… I was wondering if you could read this out loud over it. Maybe get it to several stations…" Adrien took the papers from Marinette and handed them over. "My father is set to ruin me."

"What's new, Agreste." Nino snorted and looked it over. "I can work with this. But…"

Adrien rolled his eyes and took a wad of money out of his back pocket and dropped it heavily on his desk.

Marinette's mouth fell open at the sight. Nino scooped it up and counted through it.

"We good?" Adrien looked at him curiously.

He pocketed the money. "We're good. I'll have it out and on the air in twenty."

"Thanks, man." He fist bumped Nino and they got up to leave. "Lunch sometime soon?"

"Sounds good." Nino nodded and lead them out of his office.

Marinette looked at Adrien once they were outside of the building. "What was that?!"

"What?" Adrien looked at her with his hands in his pockets.

"How much did you slap down on that desk?" Marinette looked at him in shock.

"Hmm… let's see..." He tapped his chin and looked up at the sky. "About… ten grand I think? Maybe twenty."

"What the hell?!" She could have fainted from the amount. "He's your friend… why would you pay him?"

Adrien shrugged. "He's well known and going out of his way to help us. Also, he asked for it." He walked off away from her.

"Still!" Marinette's voice went to a whisper. "Ten grand?"

"Two days for me." He held up two fingers and wiggled them back and forth.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous and you're about to lose your cushie existence."

"Good point. I should save the rest of it." Adrien rubbed his chin at the realisation.

"Yeah." Marinette scoffed and followed him back to Plagg's building.


	18. Chapter 18

Adrien slipped his black mask on and black boxer briefs. He wrapped a belt around his waist and let it dangle behind him like a tail. He tied a black choker around his neck that had a big gold bell on it. He jingled it and folded the note that he had written for Marinette.

He opened the door and slid the note underneath her door. It was payback time for the time she dressed up as Chat Noir.

Marinette walked out to the ring with the note in her hand. She looked out to see Chat stretching in the middle of the ring. His muscles pulled tight with every movement and her eyes scanned down his body. She took in what he was wearing and her lips parted. He turned to look at her, over his shoulder, with an arm pulled across his shoulders in a stretch. He dropped his arm and walked over to her. She peered up at him, as he got closer to her. Her lips parted more.

He ran a finger underneath her jaw with a smirk and a wink. His lips grazed her ear. "It's payback time."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Good luck."

"I won't need it." He winked at her and slid back to the stereo and hit play. _Feel It_ by Jacqueez began to play. He let a wave of motion go through his body, put a hand on his chest and popped his chest out and into himself. He skirted his feet along the ground. He ran a hand down his chest to the front of his boxers with a body roll. He popped his body, shuffling his feet, and pulled his waistband away, to the beat, before he let it go and jumped to the ground in a slow hip motion. He bounced his hips into the ground before doing a smooth move to get up off of the ground. He began to body roll and grabbed his tail to spin it with a wink. He crouched down and slid towards her, using his feet to move forward. He rolled his body up into a standing position and slid behind her. He began to grind his hips into her ass and slid his hands from the center of her breasts to between her thighs, before spinning her around to face him. He pulled her hips on to his thigh and began to move his hips and she rolled her hips back. He looked down at her hips, panting. She bit her lip and he spun her around and slid his hand up her back to bend her over. He grinded against her rounded bottom and she gasped. Chat grabbed her thighs and flipped her up and onto his shoulders. She held onto his head with a gasp. He laid her down on the floor and slid up her before bouncing his hips to the music between her thighs. Her cheeks flushed and he winked at her with a classic Chat smirk. He flipped over her and began to do a few smooth steps along the ground, before grabbing her and yanking her beneath him. He pressed his face between her legs while she was between his. She gasped and grabbed his thighs. He shifted his hips and used his feet to flip off of her.

He jumped up and dropped over her in a slow body roll. His lips were mere inches from hers. "I'm gonna make you feel it." He mouthed to the lyrics.

She whimpered at him and ran her fingers along the inside of the waistband of his boxers.

"I win." Chat smirked, breathing hard.

They heard clapping and Chat looked up to see Plagg with a cigar in his mouth in a black button down top with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, black suspenders, and black dress pants. His black fedora hat sat slightly off to the side. "Good show. Next time do it when I'm not around." He took the cigar from his mouth.

Chat got off of Marinette and helped her up. Her legs felt like they would give out and Chat supported her.

"I think you uh…" Plagg gestured towards the dazed girl with his cigar in his hand. "broke my star performer, Chat."

Marinette blinked with her mouth open. Chat looked over at her and smirked. "Guess I did."

"We have to go over posters and what names to put on them." Plagg waved them to his office. "And put this on." He tossed a black robe at Chat and he caught it, slipping it on to his arms.

Marinette fell to the ground in a pile. "I- you- oh my God."

Chat laughed and walked over to her and flicked under her chin with his pointer finger. "I said payback."

"I- did not expect that." Marinette struggled to get the words out.

"I'm full of surprises, Buginette." Chat chuckled with lowered eyelids.

Plagg sat in his office chair and pulled out three posters. Each had a different design to them. "Your name has to to be on them. I just don't know where you want it to be and how big you want it to be. Your father never said it had to be big."

Chat touched each one and pulled them closer. He took them all in. Marinette looked them over as well. One was simple black with green lettering that had both of his names on it, Chat Noir and Adrien Agreste. The second was an intricate green design with a black cat behind it. His name was along the collar of the cat and slightly hidden. The last one was bright green with bold lettering. His name was thrown across it along with his father's.

He cringed at each one. "If I have to pick… then the second one."

Plagg nodded in agreement.

"Wait." Marinette finally spoke coherently.

"Look who woke up." Plagg joked with a laugh.

Marinette glared at him and Chat snickered. "We found a way to get Gabriel out of the way. Didn't we, Chat?"

"We did. I don't know if it worked though." Chat rubbed the back of his neck.

"What'd you two do?" Plagg looked at them concerned.

"Turn on the radio to station 93.1." Chat used his hand to point out his radio.

Plagg gave him a skeptical look and scooted back to turn on the radio station.

The radio shot out static before evening out, as it caught the station. Nino's voice rang out from the speakers and Plagg's mouth fell open. "Adrien… you didn't…"

He crossed his arms across his chest with a smirk and dark eyes. "I did."

"You all have heard of Gabriel Agreste? Well, I got a source that says he's been starving models. Can you believe that? Man… I've seen low! But that's even lower than I've heard of! He even made his own son stop eating! Says here, he was only allowed water for some periods of time. I know you are not seeing this. This is some crazy shit." The paper crinkled over the radio station and Chat's phone rang loudly suddenly.

"Looks like he heard." Marinette smiled.

Plagg ran a hand over his face. "This was a stupid idea. Do you have any idea what you've done?!"

"Yeah, got rid of Gabriel." Marinette smirked.

"No, you've opened up a whole new can of cats. He's gonna come after you and when he does… it'll be not only my head on the line, but yours too." Plagg pointed at them both.

Chat put his phone back in his pocket.

"He could shut us down. You hear me?" Plagg shouted and began to pace in a panic.

"The police will get to him first." Chat rolled his eyes.

"You know, more than anyone, that he can just pay them off." Plagg poked Chat in the chest. "You do too. I've seen it. Don't act all innocent with me. I see you."

Marinette's face fell and she watched Chat's shoulders slump.

"You need to go to Nino and fix this shit. Fix it! Or say good-bye to your freedom. I'm not getting in the middle of this. This is your bed. You need to either lie in it or fix it. What's it gonna be?"

Marinette jumped in front of Chat. "I'll fix it. I know someone who can."

"Good. Get on it and take THAT with you." Plagg pointed at Chat Noir.

Marinette scowled at him and yanked Chat away by his forearm. "C'mon. Let's go."

Gabriel stood in his office and slammed his fist on to his glass top desk and peered out with a scowl. "Nathalie?!"

"Yes, sir?" Nathalie peered into the room from the giant double doors.

"Get my son. NOW!" Gabriel yelled and grinded his teeth.

"Right away, sir." Nathalie flinched and dropped the door shut.

Gabriel crumpled up a paper in his fist and looked up at a painting of his wife.


	19. Chapter 19

Adrien was yanked through the streets by a very determined Marinette. "Where are we going?"

Marinette looked back at him. "To my friend, Alya. She runs a newspaper and she can put the news out. It'll be on everyone's doorstep and I'm sure with the right persuasion… she can make it front page and center in bold print."

Adrien's eyes went wide and he found himself in front of a tall grey building. She opened the heavy double glass doors that were framed in steel. It opened up to an orange accented lobby. The floors were grey marble and the walls were mostly white with one orange accent wall. The chairs brought in more orange and the vases that decorated the place were orange as well with white flowers in each one.

"I need to see Alya." Marinette walked up to the front desk.

"Do you have an appointment with Mademoiselle Cesaire?" The man at the desk asked.

"No, but if you drop my name… I'm sure she'll want to see me." Marinette smiled the best she could.

"She's very busy." The man spoke with an unamused expression.

"Just tell her Mari is here to see her." Marinette smiled up at him.

He sighed, put the phone to his ear, and typed in a code to reach Alya. "There is a Mademoiselle Mari here to see you? Yes, I'll tell her."

Marinette and Adrien looked at him with curious eyes.

"She'll see you in room 165." He gestured down a long hallway. "Down to the right."

"Thank you." Marinette spoke and yanked Adrien down the hallway.

She opened the door to room 165 to find a woman standing at a desk in a white suit with a orange satin vest beneath and simple black heels. She had her hands on her hips and her two toned reddish brown hair fell to her shoulders.

"Alya!" Marinette ran to her and gave her a warm hug.

"Hey, girl! It's been ages!" Alya hugged her back.

"It's only been like three weeks." Marinette giggled at her.

"That's long enough." Alya's eyes shot to Adrien in the room. "And who's this?" She walked around him and took her glasses off. Inspecting him with the arm of her black glasses between her teeth.

"This is Adrien." Marinette gestured towards him.

"You would be… THE Adrien. Son of Gabriel Agreste?" Alya looked him up and down. "You don't look half bad, although I prefer radio DJs."

"Alya!" Marinette laughed and nudged her.

"What?" Alya laughed back and sat down in her orange office chair. "So, why did you come to see me? To catch up and have lunch? But something tells me it's something else." She placed her glasses back on her face.

"It's something we need to fix. We screwed up." Marinette sighed and slumped her shoulders.

"This wouldn't have to do with Nino outing the fact that Gabriel was starving models among other less attractive facts about him, would it?" Alya looked over her glasses.

"We thought it was a good idea." Adrien put a hand on Marinette's shoulder. His voice was warm and smooth. Alya blushed at the sound of it.

Marinette didn't miss the slightly reddish hue to Alya's cheeks. "Alright, well, we thought it would help to make it so that Adrien's name would be kept from something, but it's just making it worse. Our boss is worried that it will shut down his… business." Marinette tapped her lower lip in thought. She couldn't tell Alya who they were.

"What do you need from me?" Alya sat back and laced her fingers together on top of her crossed legs.

"I was wondering if you could write an article to make it seem like what Nino said was invalid." Marinette sighed.

"Why not just go to Nino and have him release another broadcast?" Alya questioned them with a concerned expression.

"Because I don't feel right making him change his information when it's valid." Adrien butt into the conversation.

"I see." Alya sighed and thought for a moment. She knew this would only make it worse. That it would only make the drama bigger. She bit her lip and didn't know if she should tell them what was the right thing to do. She sighed.

"We'll pay you upfront." Adrien dropped a stack of money onto her desk.

Alya's eyes went wide at the large stack. "I can't-" She wanted the money, needed the money. But this was one of her best friends. "Look, if you guys do this… It'll only make it all worse. People will argue… they will make their own conclusions and they will hunt your father down or worse… you two down." She pointed to both of them individually.

Adrien jumped at her comment. "Worse?"

"If you have Nino outing the facts and I come out with an official statement battling his official statement… people will start to take sides and it will tear people apart." Alya sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "The best option is for YOU, Adrien, to come out and speak about it. Tell them it was a lie. Tell them it was some ploy to ruin your father. Or… take responsibility for what you did. Either way… warn Nino you're doing that. He doesn't deserve to be in this mess."

Marinette looked down at her feet with a sad expression. Adrien seemed to think about what he was going to do. "If I take responsibility, it'll ruin my reputation… If I say it was a lie… I ruin Nino's."

Alya nodded in agreement. "What's it gonna be Agreste? Are you gonna take the downfall or is Nino?"

Marinette looked over at Adrien and he rubbed the back of his neck in thought and worried his bottom lip.


	20. Chapter 20

Adrien thought for a moment and Marinette looked over at him worried. "What do you want to do?"

He bit his lower lip and sighed. There was only one responsible action. "I'll take the downfall. It's my responsibility anyway."

"Good choice." Alya gave him a thumbs up with an arm cross across her chest. She took out a open and clicked the end of it. "So, can I get your statement, Monsieur Agreste?"

Adrien sighed and ran hand through his hair. He steepled his fingers with his elbows on his knees. His fingertips grazed his top lip. He leaned back in the chair and clapped his palms onto his thighs. "Tell them this." He cleared his throat. "I, Adrien Agreste, take full responsibility for the information that was broadcasted on the radio. I spoke against my father because I was petty. The information that was given was fabricated by me. I am deeply sorry for what I have done and apologize for the inconvenience it has caused, if any."

His response was formal like he had done it before and Marinette cringed at it's formality.

"Say that I take full blame for this issue and that if they have any concerns… they can come to me." Adrien cringed at the last part. He really didn't want swarms of people at his feet, but it was a small price to pay if it kept Nino in good reputation.

"Sounds perfect, Adrien." Alya smiled at him fondly. "Nino will be happy."

"Thank you Alya. I just hope I don't suffer too much from this." Adrien sighed and hit his back against the back of the chair.

"I'm sure you'll survive. After all, you're the most seeked out bachelor of Paris."

"I was a bachelor." He gripped Marinette hand with a smile. "Now… I'm kind of taken."

"Should I take your guys picture and include that as a positive part to the piece?" Alya smiled at them with a warm heart.

Adrien looked to Marinette and her blue eyes met his. "Yes."

"Alright." Alya grabbed her camera from a shelf. "Let's take a photo."

Adrien and Marinette stood up and he held her to his side with his hand on the curve of her side. She smiled with a blush and Alya snapped a few photos of them. Adrien touched her jawline with his slender fingers and brought her face to peer up at him and she took a photo of them. It was the best one out of all of the ones she had taken.

"I'll be using that one." Alya smiled at them. "I should have the article out in a week tops. I have nothing else on my plate at the moment and I'll set this as top priority."

"Thank you, Alya." Marinette smiled at her.

"Anytime! Next time let's catch lunch." Alya winked at her and Marinette laughed.

"Sounds great, Alya." Marinette smiled and hugged her friend good-bye.

Adrien shook her hand and Marinette and him walked out of the office holding hands.

"So, we're a couple now? What about what they'll say when they know I'm some baker's daughter?" Marinette looked up at him horrified.

"Let them talk." Adrien shrugged. "They may control how I live, eat, and dress. But they can't control who I love." He kissed her on the top of the head.

"Love?" The word fell from her lips and her eyes widened.

He took her hands in his and he kissed the back of one of them. "I love you with every ounce of my being."

Tears pricked her eyes and she looked down at him.

"I love you too." Marinette smiled and he got up off of the ground.

He touched her cheeks with his hands and brought his lips down to hers in a chaste kiss.

"Let's head back. I'm sure Plagg is anxious." Marinette sighed and Adrien laced his fingers with hers and they made their way to the old building.

"What do you mean, he's not here?!" Nathalie's voice rang out through the ring.

Adrien stiffened up at the sound of her voice and Marinette gripped his hand.

"He went to run an errand with Ladybug." Plagg sighed and rubbed his temples. This was too much drama for him, really.

"An errand?" Nathalie sighed. "Look, his father specifically asked me to come get him. I NEED for him to be here." Her finger poked Plagg's desk.

"Hi, Nathalie." Adrien sighed and leaned in the doorway.

"Your father wants to see you, now." Nathalie's eyes were frantic. "He's waiting."

"I fixed it. It should be fixed in a week. I took full responsibility and retracted the statement." Adrien crossed his arms.

"While that is good. He still requested you and you know how he gets." Nathalie sighed at him. "I can't make up an excuse this time, Adrien. Believe me."

"Alright. I'll come with, but I'm not staying in that house." Adrien glared at her with a firm set jaw.

"I'll let you two work that out." Nathalie rubbed her head to try and wear off her headache.

Plagg tossed her a bottle of tylenol. "Here. This should help more than what your trying to do with your fingers."

Nathalie caught it and popped one in her mouth. "Thank you."

Adrien reached and handed her his water and she swallowed the pills down.

"Let me just tell m'Lady goodbye." He gestured behind him with his thumb and left the room.

Ladybug was chalking her hands and she was wearing a new outfit. It was a pastel pink color and had ruching around her stomach. The fabric wrapped around her upper thighs and a thin white fabric, that was see through, laid along her thighs from her waist. A white lace mask covered her eyes.

"Ladybug?" Adrien walked up to her and spun her around to face him and dipped her back. "I have to go see my father. I'll be back soon though. I promise. I won't let him keep me away from you or all of this."

Her sapphire eyes sparkled in the light and her lips parted. She shook her head and tears fell. "Don't let him take you away. Fight with everything you have, Chaton."

"I will." Adrien smiled and kissed her on the lips.

She tangled her fingers in his hair and deepened it.

"I'll be back." Adrien stood her up straight and let her go. "Till this evening." He brought her hand up and pressed his soft lips to her knuckles.

Marinette nodded with a smile, but sadness and anxiety lurked behind it.

He let go of her hand and followed Nathalie out the front doors with his head hung low.


	21. Chapter 21

Adrien rode in the car in silence next to Nathalie. His usual driver sat in the driver's seat and steered them to the one place he didn't want to go back to.

The silver filigree gates opened upon their arrival and they pulled through the gates. Adrien peered up at the huge familiar mansion. He hadn't missed it one bit. Had it always seemed so cold?

Adrien swallowed hard, as the car came to a stop and they both got out. Adrien took a deep breath and followed Nathalie up the long staircase to the huge double doors at the front of the home. If you could even call it home. To him… it felt like a cage. One that held him inside by giants chains and never sought to release him.

"Ready?" Nathalie looked over at him.

Adrien shrugged and let the doors swallow him whole. He peered up the grand staircase to see his father at the top. Gabriel had his hands clutched behind his back and a grimace sat upon his lips.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice boomed and echoed through the grand foyer.

"What is right." Adrien glared at his father. "I don't want my name in lights any more than it already is!"

"And you think you can do that by trying to ruin my reputation and put me in jail?" His voice grew darker and louder.

"I was hoping it would pull you down from that pedestal your so set on staying on!" Adrien shouted and grinded his teeth together.

"The only one I see on a pedestal, Adrien Agreste! Is you!" His father barked with a snarl.

Adrien cringed at his whole name being called, but bit it back. "All I wanted was to be free, Father. Yet it seems that I can't even have one thing, ONE THING, to myself." His lip quivered and he tried to hold back the pain, the tears. "I want something I WANT to do for once. Not something YOU want me to do." He pointed to his chest desperately clinging to something.

"I agreed for you to be with Plagg if you put the Agreste name on the poster! You've disobeyed me and fallen low, Adrien! You've gone too far this time!" Gabriel glared at his son and talked with jerking movements.

Adrien looked down at his feet. "I've already fixed it, father. It will be resolved in a week."

"I sure hope you're telling me the truth! If I lose this brand? You lose everything too. You hear me?" Gabriel panted in anger.

"Yes, Father." Adrien gave in.

"Now! Go back to Plagg! Tell him you want the Agreste name in bold big print, front and center! Or I will take everything away. That means your freedom." Gabriel spoke softer.

"I'm an adult. You can't do that!" Adrien yelled suddenly and his face began to heat up with anger, his hands became fists.

"Leave before I make you know otherwise!" Gabriel snapped at his son.

Adrien growled and turned on his heel. "Take me back to Plagg!" He spoke angrily to Nathalie.

She jumped and followed him out of the house and back to the silver car.

The whole ride back he had his knee drawn up with his elbow on it. His chin rested on his hand and he peered out the window.

"He really isn't as bad as he seems, Adrien." Nathalie tried to soothe his temper.

"Just-" Adrien ran a hand down his face and talked with his hand. "Don't say anything- please!"

Nathalie kept quiet the whole ride to Plagg's place. They parked out front and Adrien jumped out.

"You're father will be checking up on you." Nathalie shouted out to him from the car.

Adrien scoffed and walked inside with tense shoulders and an anger that would make even the most evil person on Earth jealous.

"Adrien?" Ladybug peered at him from hanging upside down from her silks in the ring.

He sat on the side of the ring and held his hand in his hands. He punched the wall, he sat on and gripped the front of his hair.

"What happened?" Ladybug flipped down the fabric and walked up to him.

She kneeled between his knees and took his clenched hand. Blood seeped beneath his fingernails and she quickly took his hand from him. "You're bleeding." She yanked the thin fabric from her outfit and pressed it to the cuts from his own doing. "You need to stop doing this."

Adrien sighed and let the tears cascade down his cheeks, while he looked at her with pained emerald eyes. She pouted her lower lip with saddened eyes and she grabbed his face in her hands and brought her lips to his. "Don't let him get to you. You're better than him. Better than this." She rested her forehead on his and gestured to the ring around them.

"If I don't put the Agreste name in bold giant print…" He sighed and tried to keep his voice from shaking. "I lose everything. My freedom. This place. And… you."

"Then we'll do what he says. We'll put your name in lights. Whatever it takes to gain you the freedom you want." Ladybug smiled at him and kissed his cheeks and lips in small quick pecks.

"I have to tell Plagg." Adrien got up from where he was sitting and stumbled towards Plagg's office.

"Wait!" Ladybug grabbed his wrist and he didn't fight her. His shoulders slumped and he peered back at her with sad eyes. "I'll tell him. You go lay down. I'll bring you a glass of water and we'll hang out for a bit." She smiled and he shrugged.

"Bold giant print. Agreste. Ok?" Adrien grabbed her hands and looked at her with big forest eyes.

Ladybug nodded and kissed the back of his hand. "Bold big print that says Agreste." Marinette repeated for good measure.

Adrien nodded and made his way to his room. Ladybug adjusted her outfit and walked to Plagg's office with a purpose. She slammed his door open and he nearly dropped the cigar from his lips. His feet fell off of his desk.

"I don't like this one bit, but we have no choice. Gabriel seems to have come through with detailed demands. He wants Agreste in bold big print. Front and Center on the poster." Ladybug growled and fell into the office chair across his desk.

Plagg's eyes got big. "The old man finally cracked."

"He's threatened Adrien if we don't do it." Ladybug sighed unamused.

"That bastard. He's always been so cold. Especially towards his own blood." Plagg set the cigar back between his lips. "Alright, we give him what he wants."

He made note somewhere to change the poster according to Gabriel's desires.

"Now, I'm gonna go try and fix the thing he broke." She growled and stormed out of Plagg's office.

"Good luck! You'll need it! Some things aren't fixable." Plagg sighed and looked at the note he had made with sad eyes. "That kid doesn't deserve this bullshit."

Ladybug opened Adrien's bedroom door to find him in a black mask with black ears. He wore a black deep v-neck tee, that had a hood, and neon green joggers.

"You okay?" Ladybug bit her lower lip.

He peered up at her with a blank stare that scared her.

"I'll take that as a no…" Ladybug sighed and sat beside him with her knees to her chest. "So… you're Chat Noir now?"

He nodded with something dark behind his eyes.

"You know… I'm all for being an alter ego, but somehow, I don't think this is healthy." Ladybug looked over at him and smiled. She grabbed his hands and yanked him up from the bed.

She hit the radio on in the room and pulled him close to her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and peered up at him. She began to rock them around in a circle in the most simplistic slow dance.

Ladybug began to sing sweetly to the song and played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Adrien's eyes calmed and he began to move them in more intricate movements. He spun her out and back into him and rocked them back and forth with her back to his chest.

He spun her around to face him and pulled her close to his chest. Her hand in his and his other hand on the thinnest part of her waist.

"There's the Chat, I know." Ladybug gave him a fond smile and peered at him through her lashes.

"It seems only my Lady can pull me from my deepest Hell." Adrien touched her chin and brought his lips down to hers.

 **Song: River by Bishop Briggs**


	22. Chapter 22: NSFW

Ladybug walked into the ring and covered her hands in chalk. Chat walked over and suddenly grabbed her around the waist from behind. He rested his face into her hair and kissed the top of her head. Chat spun her around and leaned her back. "Hi."

"Hi." Ladybug blushed and smiled wide at him.

"Ready to practice, m'Lady?" Chat smiled at her.

"You seem happier today." Ladybug raised an eyebrow at him.

Chat shrugged. "I've decided not to let my father ruin my fun."

"Shocking." Ladybug smiled and spun out of his hold to the stereo. "Let's practice."

Chat nodded and watched her hit play on the electronic device.

 _Thunder_ by Jessie J began to play out and echo throughout the bones of the building. Ladybug began to drag her feet and walk towards her silk and Chat copied her moves.

Ladybug wrapped her hands in her red silk fabric and flipped her body up and laid straight with her feet behind her and her back arched. She curled her knees into her chest. Chat grabbed onto his pole and spun around it. He let it take him up into the sky, held it between his thighs and he arched his back. Ladybug wrapped the fabric under her arms and held the silk in her hands next to her head. She began to move her legs like she was running, while spinning in a wide circle. Chat smirked and pumped his body to move in a circle behind her. He used his core to hold his body straight with his legs behind him, one leg slightly bent and pulled in.

He wrapped his ankles around the pole and slowly began to spin around each other until they were tangled together. They looked into each other's eyes before they untangled and separated.

 **Now I'm falling down.**

She dropped down the lines of silk and he spun around his pole, while it dropped him down to the ground.

 **You lift me up to the clouds.**

Ladybug spun away from her aerial gear and he smoothly moved his feet along the ground. He grabbed her hand and leaned in, to graze her jaw with his hand. She spun into his arms and he rocked them back and forth. Chat smirked, grabbed onto his pole, clutched her to his side, and they were sent up into the air. She gripped onto him in shock.

He sent the pole into a spin with them on it. She wrapped her thighs around his waist and leaned back. She spread her arms out at her sides. Chat chuckled at her, as he held the small of her back with one hand.

He yanked her back up, her breath quickened, her hair fell over one eye, and her lips parted into a smile.

"Trust me?" Chat looked at her with one of his signature half smiles.

Ladybug just nodded and he smirked.

"Take my hands and let go of my waist." Chat instructed.

Ladybug looked at him shocked, but did it anyway. That's when she found herself being flipped up and above him. Chat was holding the pole with his thighs. She balanced on his hands. His arms slightly shook and she saw how his muscles stood out. Her heart beat faster. She closed her eyes and spread her legs into a slow split.

"Ready?" Chat looked up at her. Green eyes meeting blue ones.

Ladybug nodded. She trusted him wholeheartedly. He pulled his hands down and pushed them up and she let go and rolled up and flipped backwards.

"Grab your silks behind you!" Chat called out and spun around to catch her in case it didn't work out.

Ladybug looked behind her while she was upside down and reached out to grab her gear. Her fingers caught onto it and she grabbed on with white knuckles and let her body spin and get wrapped up in the soft fabric. She unspun from it with her back arched beautifully and let herself slide down the silk to the ground.

Chat began to spin and let the pole lower to the ground.

Chat stood there with an ankle crossed over the other, one hand on the pole and looked at her.

"That was insane." Ladybug's chest went up and down, rapidly.

"That's what I'm here for. Reckless behavior is my specialty, Bugaboo." Chat smirked.

Ladybug did a short laugh and hugged him tight. Her fingers tangled in his hair and she kissed him on the lips. Her tongue ran along his bottom lip and he let her gain access. His tongue ran along hers and she moaned and pressed herself flush against him. Wanting more from him.

Chat smirked into the kiss and picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he carried her off to his room.

Ladybug's fingers tangled in his hair in frantic movements and her lips and tongue glided along his. He groaned into the kiss and pressed her into the wall after kicking the door closed. Ladybug tugged the straps of her red corset down her shoulders. She arched her back and he popped the clasps that ran down her back and her costume released her. He threw the corset to the ground and grabbed her face to kiss her deeper. Ladybug moaned and moved her hips against his. The only thing keeping them from complete surrender was his black pants and her ruffled scarlet shorts. He slid his hands up her thighs and held her against the wall with his knee between her legs. He wrapped his fingers into the waistband of the tiny shorts and went to yank them down her creamy thighs.

"Put me down." Ladybug whispered against his lips and he complied.

Her feet touched the ground and he slid her shorts down her legs. They dropped to the floor and Ladybug stepped out of them. He looked her over and bit his lip. His gaze fell to her perfectly round breasts to the apex of her thighs. Ladybug looked at him through her lashes and put a hand under his chin to raise his gaze.

Chat smirked and shrugged without an apology. Ladybug kissed him again and ran her fingers along the waistband of his black pants. She yanked him closer to her and he stumbled and caught himself with a palm on the wall above her head.

Ladybug sought entrance with her tongue and he let her. He melted into her and she pulled his pants down his legs. They dropped to his ankles and he kicked them off. He picked her up by her thighs again and pressed her to the wall. Ladybug wrapped her arms around his neck and he trailed kisses along her shoulder. He reached one hand between them and rolled her swollen clit underneath his middle finger. She bit onto his shoulder to quiet a moan. His fingers trailed down and he slid his middle finger into her wet core.

"You're so wet." Chat groaned against her skin.

Ladybug let a series of moans escape her lips and she bit her bottom lip, as she rocked her hips against his hand.

"Please." Ladybug begged, gripped his back, as her nails dug into his hard muscles.

"Not yet." Chat licked along her neck and nibbled on a spot.

Ladybug moaned louder and rocked faster against him, begging for more than just his finger.

He smirked and added another finger, moving his hand faster and harder. His thumb reached up and rubbed her swollen clit in a circle. He felt himself getting more and more swollen with each movement of her hips. With each soft moan that came from her parted lips. With every mention of his name.

"Adrien… Oh my God…" Ladybug shook and her thighs quivered.

Adrien could feel her tightening around him. Could hear her breath coming out in short pants. He knew she was close. That she was about to burst and break.

He waited for her breathing to quicken for her moans to grow louder and closer together. Right as she was about to crash around him and let the waves take her under. He entered her. She gasped and gripped his back harder, clinging to him for dear life. He bit his lip and let out a groan at her reaction. He began to move his hips faster and harder. She reached her hands up and tangled them into his soft hair. Her lips met his and she kissed him like he was her oxygen. Her only way to breathe.

"Mari…" Chat moaned her name and rolled his hips into her.

Her breathing quickened and her moans grew louder. Her grip tightened into his hair and her body stiffened, her toes curled.

"Cum for me." Chat purred, gripped her ass in his hands and sped up, going harder.

Ladybug crashed around him. Her pussy gripped his hard cock and he grit his teeth, as he let it take him under with her.

They clutched to each other riding out the most amazing orgasm either of them had ever had. Ladybug caught her breath, holding her forehead to him, and they both panted with their eyes closed. He let her feet touch the ground and she looked up at him.

"I don't think that should be part of our routine." Ladybug giggled.

"Was it supposed to be? We weren't really in the ring… purrrsay." Chat laughed at her statement.

"True… but it started there." Ladybug smiled up at him and poked his nose with her index finger.

Chat smiled at her with his hands on his hips and shook his head. Ladybug threw his pants at him and they landed on his head, covering his face.

She covered her mouth and laughed. He pulled them from his head and ran up to her. He grabbed her and picked her up in his arms around her thighs and spun them around.

"Let me down! Let me down!" Ladybug giggled and jokingly hit his chest.

"Not until you tell me how amazing I was." Chat smirked at her and laughed.

"How rude." Ladybug feigned being angry.

"Am I being rude?" Chat raised an eyebrow with an evil expression.

"Alright, alright. You were amazing! Best sex ever!" Ladybug was dropped slowly down his body. "Let's go again." She grabbed his face and brought his lips to hers. His bright green eyes went wide, before he closed them and melted into her.

 **Song: Thunder by Jessie J**


	23. Chapter 23

Plagg walked out of his office, holding the new poster. It wasn't really his style, but if the man wanted it to be done… it'd be done. He cared too much about the kid to argue at this point.

He wrapped his hands around the cloth poster and clenched his fists. The fabric wrinkled beneath his strained fingers.

"Is that the poster?" Chat walked up in a black vest and black knit pants with a bell at his neck.

"Yeah, yeah it is." Plagg sighed and reluctantly let it drop open.

The background was black and had a black cat outlined in white. A neon green banner was strung beneath the cat and in bold black lettering was his name, Adrien Agreste, along the banner. Chat Noir was in white at the very top.

He sighed at the sight of it.

"I'm sorry, kid. You gave it your best shot." Plagg shook his head in dismay.

"I feel like I could have tried harder." Chat grabbed the front of his hair.

"Maybe, maybe not. But there's no going back now." Plagg sighed. "Let's go to my office." He sensed the boy would be on the ground any moment now.

Plagg steered Chat to his office and shut the door behind them.

"I wish I never would have taken up aerial pole. If I knew it would have lead to this… I never would have started doing it." Adrien crouched down to the floor with his fingers still in his blonde hair.

"You didn't know this was going to happen." Plagg touched his shoulder. "Didn't know your father would sell you out like this."

His eyes shot up to Plagg's and his lips fell into a saddened expression. "That's just it… it's my father. I should have expected this to happen. It's always about money and the next new trend with him. I'm just a pon in his money game."

"Don't let it get to you." Plagg rubbed his shoulders. "After this, we can figure something out."

"After this, you will have more than a full house. How are we going to accommodate all of the people coming to see not only Chat, but Adrien Agreste?" Adrien looked at him in concern.

"We'll get a bigger place to perform. I'll get a loan and with the amount of people you two will bring in… I'll save for a new place. A nicer and bigger place." Plagg smiled at him. "You'll be fine, kid. Just keep your head up above water."

"I'm trying." Chat gave him a look of desperation.

"You got a good girl." Plagg peered out at Ladybug dancing up on her silks in the ring. "She's got your back and you've got hers. With the both of you together… nothing can stop you."

"I feel bad for dragging her into this." Adrien sighed. "She never asked to be."

"But she's taking it with stride. She's strong. Never forget that." Plagg smirked.

He thought about how she was when he first came there. How stubborn she was. How much tenacity she had in her bones.

"She can hold her own, kid." Plagg laughed and clapped him on the back. "And I know you can too."

"Thanks, Plagg." Chat stood up from the ground.

"Now, go out there and practice with your lady. We got a show to prepare for." Plagg put his hands on his hips and watched Chat run out to his aerial pole.

He watched him leap onto his pole and watched as the pole took him up into the air. How Chat gripped Ladybug's silks and pulled her close. How his lips crashed down onto hers. Plagg shook his head. "That kid, I swear."

Plagg looked over the poster again and tapped his bottom lip. He had a plan of his own and he jumped over his desk and picked up his black phone.

"It's Plagg from Cirque du L'amour. Put me through to Monsieur Agreste." He spoke with a stern voice and determined glowing green eyes.


	24. Chapter 24

"This is Gabriel Agreste." A deep unenthused voice boomed through the receiver.

"It's Plagg. I want to meet with you to discuss this poster deal." Plagg spoke with his jaw tight.

"There isn't anything left to discuss." His tone was short and clipped.

"There is much more to discuss. We need to talk and not just about the poster." Plagg gave up trying to hide his plan and went for a more direct approach.

"I'm free around noon during my lunch break. Meet me at Cafe Blanc. Down from my office." Gabriel hung up and Plagg was filled with determination.

Plagg hung the phone up and walked out of his office. He watched Ladybug and Chat Noir dancing in the sky for a moment. They really did have great chemistry. The way her hands grazed his jaw and the way her held her softly like she would break if he were too rough. The way her leg was wrapped around his hip. He just wished they wouldn't be so handsy when he was there.

He cleared his throat and Ladybug jumped away from Chat. "I'm going out for lunch today. I'll be back later. You guys take five and keep practicing."

They both nodded with a blush and Chat rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly. Plagg shook his head with a smile and went to his office. He looked over the poster, rolled it up, and put a black fedora hat on his head. He carried the poster underneath his arm and made his way out to the street.

The day was nice. It wasn't too hot or too cold. The streets were busy with people trying to get to small cafes or shops, while they were on break from their everyday careers.

Plagg breathed in the fresh air and slowly let it out. He adjusted his hat and began to walk towards Cafe Blanc. He wasn't going to sugar coat anything he was planning to say and if he lost his business… he really didn't give a damn at this point. He was sick of it. Sick of picking up the pieces or watching his star girl do it.

He threw open the doors to the cafe. The theme was whites and creams with hints of purple. He walked up to the front attendant.

"How many?" The person at the front looked at him with a smile.

"I'm meeting Gabriel Agreste for lunch. Did he already get a table?" Plagg spoke with a smirk and something dark shined in his green eyes.

"Yes, he's up on the terrace." The person pointed in the direction of some stairs.

"Thank you." Plagg tipped his hat and made his way up the staircase.

He opened the door to find Gabriel sitting at a table, sipping an espresso.

"Hello, Monsieur Agreste." Plagg tried to keep his voice level.

"Hello, Plagg." Gabriel set his cup down. "Please sit."

Plagg set the poster on the table and sat down in the white metal framed seat.

"What is it you wanted to discuss?" Gabriel took another sip of his coffee.

"I wanted to show you the poster." Plagg unrolled it onto the table and Gabriel looked it over.

"It's flawless." Gabriel's expression turned into a wicked smile, curled at the edges.

"Yes… I just wish your son had the same reaction." Plagg scooted his point in there. The real reason he wanted to talk to him today.

Gabriel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, catching his hint. "My son is stubborn. He's got a short fuse. He's an Agreste. His name will always be in lights and out for the public to see. It's part of who we are."

"It's who YOU are." Plagg shot back with his arms crossed across his chest. "Not what HE is or wants. Have you ever stopped to consider his feelings?"

"It doesn't matter. He's my SON. He'll do what I WANT." Gabriel slammed a fist onto the table, causing everything to shake and clink together.

"It DOES matter. THAT is your son. THAT man falling apart like a child?! Is YOUR son." Plagg stood up and hit the table with the palm on his hand. "I can't fix him anymore. My star girl can't fix him anymore! He's broken! You've broken him from years, YEARS, of being the way you are. YEARS of not listening to him. Of making him your puppet!" Plagg couldn't hold back anymore. He was done dealing with Gabriel.

"If anyone BROKE him… it was you and this whole aerial show of yours." Gabriel grinded his teeth in a seething anger and clenched his fists.

Plagg reached across the table and grabbed the lapels on his white suit coat. He brought his face into Gabriel's. "Listen up, you pompous asshole. I've had enough of your bullshit excuses. Fucking FIX this shit and leave his name and YOUR name off my shit and make your GOLDEN token happy. I've had it! Take my show? FINE!" He let go and Gabriel fell back against the seat.

"I think you may be confused, Monsieur Plagg." His expression became darker and more sinister. "I plan to use MY son how I please… If he's unhappy?" He shrugged with his eyes shut. "So be it. He's under my contracts. He's my flesh and blood. I'll do what I please with him. He's MY child!"

Plagg grinded his teeth and glared daggers into the man across from him. "You fucking asshole. No wonder he hates you and hurts himself. No wonder he curls up in a ball at my feet and feels inadequate. He's had to deal with your bullshit too long. It's a pity your wife left you. But then again, I understand why." Plagg wrenched his fist back and slammed it into Gabriel's face. Sending his head back. He slowly brought his head back up and touched his nose. Blood trickled from it and he wiped his hand to catch the red liquid.

"GET OUT! NOW! YOUR LITTLE SHOW IS DONE! YOU HEAR ME?! I'LL BE BY TO COLLECT MY BELONGINGS!" Gabriel screamed angrily.

"He's under my contract now! He's mine!" Plagg spun on his heel and made his way out of the cafe and back to his building.

Plagg opened the doors and found Chat and Ladybug cuddling on the wall around the ring. Which wasn't unusual for them. They seemed to always be on each other in some form or manner.

"You need to run." Plagg was adamant. "Run as far as you two can. And hurry. Now."

"What's wrong?" Chat and Ladybug split apart fast and looked at him urgently.

"I told your father off and punched him in the face. He's on his way to collect you." Plagg ran a hand over his face.

"You did WHAT?!" Chat panicked and bit his fingers.

"No time to explain. Pack your stuff and run." Plagg spoke quickly.

Chat nodded and yanked Ladybug to their rooms to get ready to run.


	25. Chapter 25

Adrien filled a bag with his belongings and Marinette did the same. Adrien ran to her room and took her hand. They grabbed their aerial gear from the ring and packed it. They ran out of the building and out into the streets. Rain had begun to come down and Marinette flinched as the cold water touched her skin. Adrien adjusted his hat and lead her to the train station.

When they got there it was filled with people. A voice boomed over an intercom for people to board certain trains to get to certain destinations.

Adrien looked over the places they could travel to in rapid movements and glances.

Marinette tried to catch her breath next to him, her hand gripped a little too tightly in his.

"Where are we headed?" She looked at his worried expression. He looked like a cat that was on edge.

"I don't know. I'm looking." Adrien touched his chin and tried to focus. There was the ocean or more into the cities… Too many places.

"A train leaves for La Rochelle in a few minutes." Marinette pointed to the destination on the screen in front of them.

"Let's go." Adrien yanked her to the front desk to get tickets.

Within moments they were stuffing their bags in a compartment and sitting on a train to La Rochelle. It was on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean and he figured they could make a new life there until this all blew over. Maybe buy a boat and live on the ocean water. It sounded nice to him, but would it to her. He peered at her next to him. Within moments she had fallen asleep in his arm, pressed against his side.

The train ride didn't feel that long even though it was around three hours. Adrien had spent most of his time engrossed in an old novel and peering out the window of the train, as the scenery passed by them. Marinette had woken up and begun sketching what appeared to be a new outfit in a small sketchbook.

"I didn't know you drew." Adrien peered at her drawing and watched as her cheeks turned a rosie color.

"I d-do from time to time." Marinette stuttered and felt embarrassed that he had seen her sketch.

"That's a great clothing piece." Adrien smiled at her and closed his book on his thigh.

"I make all of my costumes for my aerial work." Marinette smiled at him.

"So, that's why they're always so unique." Adrien smirked at her and peered back at the book in his lap. He ran his fingers over the smooth cover of it.

"Yep. Ladybug designed. Marinette manufactured." She beamed next to him and signed the drawing with a flourish.

"You should make your own clothing brand." Adrien touched the back of her hand.

"That was a dream of mine… but then I found aerial silks. I fell in love with that and slowly stopped focusing on a fashion career. I still love designing my costumes though. They fit better than store made ones." Marinette smiled. "I could make you some too, if you'd like?"

"I'd love that, Mari." Adrien smiled and brought her knuckles to his soft lips, fluttering kisses along the back of her hand.

The train stopped and they grabbed their bags and stepped off.

"Where to now?" Marinette bit the side of her thumb and knit her eyebrows together with worry. She was nervous, but if she was with him, she thought she'd be okay.

"We find a place to stay. I was thinking about getting a boat." Adrien looked at her to watch her reaction.

"A boat?" Marinette's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah. Live on the water. Relax a bit. Drink tea or coffee on a little table on the deck…" Adrien fantasized a relaxed life next to his lady.

"Do you have money for that?" Marinette looked at him. "Won't your father pull the funds?"

"I have money saved up in an account that he can't get to, remember?" Adrien sighed. "Trust me?"

"Okay." Marinette smiled the best she could, but part of her was questioning him.

"Let's go buy a boat." Adrien tucked her arm under his and he slung his bag over his shoulder and lead them to a place to buy one.

Before long they were walking down a pier looking for the boat that Adrien had just purchased from a very helpful elderly man.

Adrien threw his bag into the white house boat and jumped onto the deck. He held out his hand and she took it. He helped her step onto the boat. "Is this to your liking, m'Lady?" He bowed to her and she turned in a circle taking it all in.

White lights were strung along the silver rails that wrapped around the whole boat. The house boat itself was all white with windows that had criss crossed wood designs on them. The door was a bright red. It bobbed on the water and she took in the view of the vast ocean.

"It's beautiful." Marinette whispered with wide eyes.

He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her, as she gripped the rail and peered out at the ocean. "Thank you." She sighed with an astonished smile.

"Anything for m'Lady." Adrien kissed the top of her head and just held her, as they watched the sun set on the water.


	26. Chapter 26

Gabriel stood in Plagg's building. He clenched his fists and grinded his teeth together in anger. He threw open doors looking for Adrien, but he never found him. Every room was empty of most things and it was driving him over the edge.

"Plagg!" Gabriel yelled for the man that owned the place.

Plagg let out a slow breath, before appearing out of a back room. "Yes?" He acted like nothing was out of the ordinary.

Gabriel marched up to him and grabbed him by the shirt. "Where's my son?"

"I don't know. He's not in his room?" Plagg pretended to play dumb.

"No, he's not." Gabriel's face was unamused.

"Is he up on the rig?" Plagg peered at him with his head cocked to the side.

"No. Plagg stop toying with me! Where is he?" Gabriel demanded.

Plagg shrugged. "He must have gone out with his girl."

Gabriel growled and dropped his shirt, before walking away and tapping stuff on his phone. "Get me my security agent. I need everyone to fan out and look for my son."

Plagg's eyes grew big. He hoped they had run somewhere that was hard to find. When Gabriel turned back to face him, he placed a fake smile on his lips.

"I'm not done with you!" Gabriel pointed a finger at him.

Plagg sighed and his shoulders slumped. "Oh course not."

Marinette stood in the open concept kitchen inside the boat house. She flipped a crepe on the stove and stirred the chocolate and strawberry sauce.

"I could watch you cook for hours." Adrien popped a strawberry in his mouth that was on the kitchen island.

"It's not that exciting." Marinette rolled her eyes and poured more batter onto the skillet after removing the last crepe.

Adrien quickly slid behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck, lovingly. He touched her hand on the pan's handle and helped her swirl it around to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer. Her breathing hitched and he smirked. Adrien reached behind him and grabbed a strawberry. He dipped it in the melted chocolate and held it in front of her soft lips. "Wanna taste?"

Marinette's eyes went wide at the sight of the chocolate dipped strawberry. She spun around in his grasp and he moved the strawberry out of the way in time. She looked at him with heavy eyelids and a sexy smile. Marinette grabbed his hand and pulled the strawberry to her lips. She peered up at him and flicked the chocolate with her tongue before putting the strawberry between her plump lips and taking a bite. He bit his lip and groaned as he watched her close her eyes, hum with satisfaction, and lick the chocolate from her soft lips.

Adrien suddenly brought his lips down her hers and she let her lips part and let his tongue run along hers.

Marinette pushed him away by his chest and flipped the crepe. "I'm gonna burn these if you keep distracting me like that."

Adrien shrugged and walked past her and sat back at the island on a bar stool. "Worth it." He winked and she burst out laughing.

"I can't with you." Marinette laughed until she cried.

In a few moments, she set a plate of chocolate strawberry crepes in front of him. It looked like a photo with how perfect she had plated it. He picked up his fork and took a bite. Adrien closed his eyes and licked his lips. "Delicious."

"I'm glad." Marinette set a cup of tea in front of him and she sat down next to him. "How long are we going to hide?"

"As long as, we have to. I'm sorry." Adrien poked his food and looked up at her, stilling his fork.

"I miss being up in the air in the lights." Marinette smiled and looked at the ceiling. She imagined the warmth of the lights on her skin. The cheers from the crowd.

Adrien thought for a moment. "I have an idea." He jumped up and grabbed his coat. "I'll be back."

Marinette was left at the table confused.

Adrien walked to the local hardware store and found everything he needed. If she missed doing aerial work and they couldn't go to Plagg then he'd bring it to her.

When he got back to the house, he sat on the roof. He began to build a metal rig that would work for them at home.

Marinette was in the kitchen washing dishes. She had put the leftovers away and was exhausted. Adrien jumped down and went inside. He took the brush out of her hands and undid her apron and hung it on the hook. "Come." He pulled her by the hand outside and spun her away from the house.

He covered her eyes and spun them around. "I have a surprise for you, ready?"

"What is this about?" Marinette smiled in confusion.

"You'll see." Adrien smiled and removed his hands.

Her mouth fell open at the sight. On their house sat an aerial rig. Her silk fabric was already hooked up to it.

"One more thing." Adrien pulled his pole from behind his back and extended it. He got onto the roof and hooked his pole up next to her gear. "Finished."

Marinette got onto the roof and touched her silks. She peered over at Adrien with shaking blue eyes. "Merci, Minou."


	27. Chapter 27

**Note: Sorry I haven't posted on this story in a while. I was running out of ideas, but I think I have to figured out now. :) Thanks for reading, favoriting, following, and reviewing. :)**

Adrien left inside the house and changed into his black mask, tight black jeans, bell choker, cat ears and carried a stereo outside. Marinette walked out after him wearing a tight one piece red outfit with a lace red mask. He set the stereo down next to the aerial gear. He hit play and Gatekeeper by Jessie Reyez punched out from the speakers.

Ladybug smirked and let out a short quiet laugh. "Alright."

Chat looked at her with a sheepish grin and ran and flipped up and around his pole when the beat hit.

Ladybug grabbed her silks and hung on them and let it take her weight, as she fell forward and let herself spin in the circle. She spread her silk hammock and leaned her waist over it. She fell forward and rolled herself up into it until she was high up.

 **Spread your legs open.**

She flipped down and spread her legs above her head with the silks in her hands. Her back was perfectly straight.

Chat nearly fell off his pole, watching her.

Ladybug brought herself back up and spun in the fabric. Chat shook his head and body rolled into his pole and spun around it fast, holding onto the metal rod with his hand.

Ladybug did a series of choppy movements by tangling and untangling her ankles and wrists in the silk. Chat found himself getting distracted by her. He held onto his aerial pole and resorted to just watching her.

She rolled down the silk and began to dance along the ground. She slowly crouched down caressing her thighs and spread them wide. She shifted her knee into herself and bent her back and slowly stood back up, grazing her leg to her hip with her hand.

Chat's slid off of his pole and landed with his knees bent.

Ladybug rolled her body and did jabs with her elbows while she slid along the ground.

Chat smirked and began to copy her dance moves. He grabbed her hand and yanked her into him and onto his bent leg. She rolled her hips along his thigh and pressed her forehead to his.

Chat touched her thigh and spread her legs wide and she closed them around his thigh suddenly the beat. She arched her back and threw her head from side to side, sending her hair whipping back and forth. Her breasts kissed the air and Chat breathed hard and licked his lips with his hand on the small of her back.

Ladybug snapped back up and pushed off his chest into a spin. She suddenly stopped dancing and ran a hand through her hair, laughing.

"That was fun." Ladybug's laugh was contagious and Chat soon found himself laughing along with her.

He threw his mask off and her eyes went wide, as he ran at her. He grabbed her around the waist and they fell into the cold water.

Adrien came up for air and Marinette followed nearby him. She coughed and rubbed her eyes with one of her hands, while the other kept her afloat.

"Rude!" Marinette splashed him with a giggle.

Adrien chuckled and wiped his eyes. He leaned back and floated along the surface of the water.

"It's so cold!" Marinette complained and knocked his legs down.

Adrien quickly adjusted and started to move his arms to keep him afloat with a laugh. He tried to grab her, but she swam away from him.

"No! I don't trust you. Go away!" She splashed water towards him and he smirked with a dark notion in his eyes.

Adrien caught her wrist and pulled her against him. "Hold your breath."

"What? Why?" Marinette's eyes went wide.

"Just do it, Mari." Adrien chuckled, enjoying her reactions way too much.

Marinette pouted and took a big breath. Adrien smiled and suddenly yanked them beneath the waves. Marinette clenched her eyes shut and soon felt his hands on the sides of her cheeks. His warm lips brushed against hers and before she knew it, his tongue was in her mouth. She deepened the kiss and clung to him. She began to fight for air, but he held her still and blew air into her mouth. She gasped and her eyes flew open. He pulled her closer and kissed her harder. Adrien pulled away and smirked and swam them back up to the surface.

Marinette gasped for more air and Adrien breathed hard.

"What was that?" Marinette was dumbfounded by him.

"You needed air." Adrien shrugged and began to swim back to their house.

"Hey!" Marinette swam after him.

He climbed up the side ladder and onto their porch. Marinette did the same and she pushed her hair back away from her face.

"You didn't warn me." Marinette pouted and crossed her arms.

"I believe I did…" Adrien laughed and walked into their house, leaving wet footprints on the flooring.

"Not with the breathing thing underneath the water." Marinette followed behind him.

Adrien got into their giant three person sized shower and turned it on.

"Oh, that was spontaneous. Must like this is." He yanked her into the shower and pressed her against the tiled wall.

She let out a short scream in shock and soon melted into his kiss. He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his hips. Adrien trailed kisses down her neck to her shoulder and pressed his arousal into her. Marinette tilted her head back and let out a moan. She pressed back against him with a roll of her hips and he bit his lip and groaned. His hand grazed up her thigh to her side. Adrien reached up and snapped her strap on her outfit and watched the strap fall off her shoulder.

He whispered in her ear while his soft lips grazed along her skin, "Take it off."

Marinette whined and tugged at his pants, yanking him closer. She bit his bottom lip and flicked his top lip with her tongue. "Only after you lose these first, Kitty Cat."

Adrien groaned and undid and yanked his jeans down, leaving him in nothing, but the bell choker and black ears. Marinette looked into his glowing green eyes with hunger, as water cascaded down them and bit her lip.

He grazed his finger beneath her chin and peered at her like he wanted to lick her from the ground up. "I believe it's your turn. Bugaboo."

Marinette looked at him with parted lips and a smirk. She unbuttoned the other strap and let it fall. She arched her back against him and unsnapped the back, took it off, and held it out beside them, before dropping it to the ground. Her burning eyes never left his. He looked over her breasts and how the light caught her soft pink nipples. Adrien slid his hand up her side till he cupped her breast and his lips captured hers. She clutched his back and deepened the kiss, while he hiked her up against the wall.

Helicopter lights shined through the window of their bathroom. Adrien stopped pumping into Marinette and her gasps of pleasure stopped and she clung to him.

"Shit." Adrien looked away from her and whispered underneath his breath.

"What is it?" Marinette brought his face back to her. Her lips grazed against his. "Come back."

"Sorry, love." Adrien pulled out of her and let her feet touch the ground. He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist.

"Wait." Marinette turned the shower off and followed him after wrapping a towel around herself.

Adrien frantically looked out the windows. He slammed the curtains shut and began to dry off, quickly. He was throwing jeans and a shirt on as fast as he could.

"What is going on?" Marinette clutched the towel to herself and watched him, worried.

"Get dressed, lock the doors." Adrien looked at her with a serious expression.

"Just tell me what is going on!" Marinette grew irritated with how vague he was being.

Adrien walked towards her with a mission and yanked her to him and pressed his finger to her lips. "And by all means, keep quiet!" He scolded her in a whisper.

Marinette nodded with wide eyes.

Adrien let her go and began to start locking up the house.

Marinette shoved a pair of pants on with a shirt.

"Get your shoes on." Adrien instructed. "Ones you can run in."

"I don't-" Marinette picked up a pair of tennis shoes and began to throw them onto her feet.

"My father found us." Adrien threw his shoes on.

"What?!" Marinette yelled in a whisper.

"He has his ways, Mari." Adrien jumped up and grabbed her hand. "C'mon."

"But my silks and your pole…" Marinette tried to argue with him.

"Hang tight." Adrien leaped out of the back door and pulled himself up onto the roof. He unhooked their aerial gear and his pole shot back into itself and he carried them all into the house.

"Here." Adrien handed her her silks and she stuff them into a bag. He shoved his staff into his back pocket.

He opened the front door and looked out to see where the spotlight was shining. Luckily, it was on another houseboat. "Now's the time." Adrien locked the house up and pulled her into a run down the docks.

The giant spotlight followed behind them and Adrien looked behind them, as they ran.

"Your father's insane!" Marinette snapped at him.

"Take a number, sweetheart. Everyone thinks he's a maniac." Adrien smirked, looking behind himself at her.

Marinette said nothing and let him take her away.

 **Song: Gatekeeper by Jessie Reyez**


	28. Chapter 28 (reworked)

**Note: HEY! I'm back to fix this cop out of an ending. haha I'm so sorry that I did that to this story. I promise that there will be more Plagg. I can't believe I left him hanging back with Gabriel. haha Anyway, this will end how it should have. I know the editing is awful... on the chapters before this one. I didn't really want to rewrite the whole story. It was hard for me to get over the bad editing. Trust me. haha I was like no, nope don't focus on that. Anyway, the editing from here on out will be on par with my other stories. Anyway, I hope you enjoy. I missed this story, especially Plagg. LOL**

Adrien stood at the train station at the ticket booth.

"Where are we going?" Marinette looked at him.

"WE aren't going anywhere. YOU are." Adrien handed her the one ticket that was in his hand.

Marinette's eyes shook and her lips turned down at the corners. She shook her head in protest. She didn't want to leave him behind. Every fiber in her being told her that she shouldn't let him go.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng." Adrien gripped her shoulders. "You are going to take THAT ticket. Give it to that man over there. Board that train and take it to THAT location. I want you safe. Trust me. When the timing is right? I'll find you." He pointed to each item to solidify his words, kissed her on the lips, and hugged her tight.

"No. You have to come with me." Marinette wouldn't let him go. "I won't let you leave me like this."

"You have to, m'lady. I'll be fine. I'll finish this." Adrien smiled at her and pried her hands from him. If he was honest, he wasn't sure if he would be okay. But he needed her to believe that he would be. "Now, go. Before my father finds you."

Marinette slid her hands down to his hand. She began to walk while looking behind her into his emerald eyes one last time. She suddenly stopped and smiled up at him with tears in her eyes. "At least walk me to the train? Please?"

Adrien gave in and walked with her to the door of the train. She handed her ticket over to the man and smiled up at Adrien as she stepped up the stairs and into the doorway. "I'm going to miss you with every fiber of my being."

"I'm going to miss you too, but remember that this is only good-bye for a short moment of time." Adrien smirked at her and touched her chin.

"Good, because I can't leave without you." She yanked him further inside the train as the doors shut behind them. He stumbled and fell with her onto the hard ground.

"No, I need to handle this. I need to end it. Plagg. He needs me. Needs this to stop and you just took me away from that!" Adrien panicked and tried to get up from on top of her.

Marinette held her arms tightly around him as he flailed around. "No, NO! I won't let you get yourself killed!" She tangled her fingers into his hair and whispered into his ear. "If you are going to confront your father then I am going with you. You ARE NOT doing this alone. Do you hear me?"

Adrien punched the floor with his fist and sat back on his heels as she let her grip loosen on him. "You don't understand, Marinette. I don't want you to get in the middle of this. I don't want you to get hurt! I don't want my father to catch you! I-" He tugged at his hair with his knees against his chest. "I-"

"If you could take your seats please." The engineer looked at the two of them.

"Sorry, Monsieur." Marinette stood up and held her hand out to Adrien.

He took it with a shaky hand and she lead him to a table with two short booths on each side. Marinette pulled him into one booth and held him against her. "I didn't want to get you involved in this insanity." Adrien's voice came out desperate and strained.

Marinette nodded and brushed her fingers through his hair. "I know. But I want to be involved. I want to help. It's my decision. My problem."

Adrien sniffed and cuddled against her. "I'm sorry, Marinette."

"It's okay. So, where to now?" Marinette smiled as he sat up in thought.

"We have to go back to Plagg." Adrien sighed and slumped against the seat. "I hate to admit it, but my father probably has him tied up at the moment and on the brink of death."

"Alright, next stop? We get off the train and switch trains to head back." Marinette nodded and looked out the window. "For now. Try to relax. We work as a team. In the ring and out." She took his hand in hers and captured his gaze with her own. "I'm not letting you fight this alone, not then and not now."

"I don't deserve you, Mari." Adrien leaned over and pressed his lips against hers in an emotional kiss that left her heart pounding.

She broke the kiss and peered into his broken eyes. "You're right. You deserve better than me. You deserve an amazing life and if I can be a stepping stone to help make that your future? I will." She yanked him closer and deepened the kiss. And for once Adrien forgot all about his father, Plagg, modeling, and aerial gear. All he knew was that he had Marinette and that was all he wanted and needed.


	29. Chapter 29

Plagg spit blood from his lips and glared up at Gabriel, pulling at the ropes that held his wrists to the wooden chair. He was beyond livid with the man in front of him.

"All you had to do was do as I asked. All I wanted was for my name to be on the poster. All I wanted was for my son to show off the Agreste name, yet you let him run. You just had to keep him there. That was it. But you let him run from me!" Gabriel grabbed the collar of Plagg's button down and pulled him closer.

Plagg cleared his throat and suddenly spit into his face. "Fuck you!" He was tired of Adrien getting treated like he was just some commodity. He was so much more than that. The kid had true talent and a golden heart. That was hard to come by.

Most people he had come across had let the fame get to their heads. They had floated up to the clouds and reigned over everyone below, but that wasn't the case with Adrien. Not like his father. The man that barely resembled a man at this moment.

"Where is my son?" Gabriel wiped his face with a white handkerchief and pocketed it.

"I wouldn't tell you. Not even if you stabbed me a million times. If you were a better father… you wouldn't have to ask my ass." Plagg sneered and pulled at his binds again.

"IF YOU HADN'T PUT SOME FANTASY INTO MY SON'S HEAD… I WOULDN'T HAVE TO ASK YOU!" Gabriel shoved him back into the chair with his fist in Plagg's shirt.

"I did no such thing and you know it! Deep… inside that small… black… heart of yours? You know very well where your own kid is, but please continue to beat me to get an answer that you already know." Plagg rolled his eyes and spit blood out of his mouth, once more.

"Listen here you little insecure man…" Gabriel grabbed his collar and brought his face close to his again. "I don't think you know where my son is and you're just trying to confuse me. To make me feel like I know where he is when, in fact, I do not! So, sit down and tell me where my son has gone or so help me God I will cut off your tongue myself and feed it to y-"

"STOP!" The doors flung open and Gabriel dropped Plagg back against the back of the chair, punching him in the face one last time.

Plagg's chest rose and fell as he turned to look over at the door. Adrien stood there with Marinette behind him. He was protectively holding her back, but Plagg could tell she was fighting against Adrien. Plagg spit again and Marinette's eyes stared directly into his blackened ones. She suddenly lashed out with a primal scream.

"Marinette!" Adrien whipped around to grab her upper arms. He looked deeply into her sapphire eyes and she relaxed. A warm smile fell onto his lips and he turned back around to face his father as his smile faded into a frown. "IS THIS WHAT IT'S COME DOWN TO, FATHER? HM? Some useless game!"

"Adrien…" Gabriel's expression became sympathetic and saddened by his son's tone.

"Don't Adrien… me. I'VE HAD IT!" Adrien flung his hand out at his side and glared at his father. "I NEVER ASKED FOR THIS! NEVER!" He quickly pointed at his father and tears stung his eyes. "NEITHER DID MOTHER! OR DID YOU FORGET HER SO EASILY IN YOUR GREED!" The tears that he had held back were now running down his flushed cheeks and he didn't care if anyone saw them. "Did you forget her words? Did you forget what she wanted for you… for US!" He pointed to both of them and then to himself. "Because I sure as hell didn't. I keep her words with me… every damn day!" He spit the words from his mouth and Marinette took his hand into hers.

Plagg's mouth fell open as he watched the kid unravel before them. Watched him let go years of anger, abandonment, of pain.

"SHE DIED FOR YOUR BULLSHIT! FOR YOUR SICK OBSESSION WITH A BRAND! YOU COULDN'T EVEN TAKE A MOMENT TO HAVE STOPPED TALKING TO PULL HER FROM THE DAMN TRAIN TRACKS!" Adrien burst out into tears and pointed at his father with as much hatred as he had. Hatred that filled every bone in his body for this man that didn't care about them. That cared about his company over them. "You never cared about mother or me. Not the way that she did. Not that way that she deserved. NEVER MIND me! I don't give a shit! Hate me! Hate me because I look like HER! But don't… don't blame everyone else for why you are some small… insecure man… that is overcompensating every damn day! Don't even try… to deny that, FATHER! I CAN READ YOU LIKE A DAMN BOOK!"

Gabriel's mouth clamped shut at his son's words. They circled around his head and Marinette ran over to untie Plagg from the chair.

"NOW YOU HAVE TWO OPTIONS… AND I ADVISE YOU TO CHOOSE WISELY." Adrien glared at him and crossed his arms over his chest. "ONE!" He held up his index finger on one hand. "You leave us alone and let me live my own life. Or…" He held up his middle finger and his voice grew louder and deeper. "YOU PREPARE TO BE ARRESTED BECAUSE I WILL SUBMIT EVERY DAMN THING YOU HAVE DONE AND TURN IT AGAINST YOU. AND DON'T THINK I'LL BE ERASING THAT SHIT AGAIN LIKE LAST TIME. OH… NO… I HAVE PLENTY MORE TO TELL… AND YOU KNOW IT."

Gabriel swallowed hard, and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Do I even have a choice?" His voice was quiet and refined.

"No, not really." Plagg walked up behind him and clamped his hand down onto Gabriel's shoulder. "I'd say your pretty much trapped like a mouse in a maze, Monsieur Agreste."

Gabriel growled and gave in. "Fine, I'll let you live your life. However, that means that you no longer gain inheritance or any money from the _Gabriel_ brand. You will no longer be known as my son and I will disown you."

Adrien flinched at his last words and tried to ignore the ache that filled his heart from them. It still hurt, even if his father was a complete ass. "Fine."

Gabriel grabbed his coat and threw it on, before he left the building. "Have a wonderful life!"

"I only wish you the best, father." Adrien huffed and crossed his arms with a glare.

Gabriel growled louder as he made his way out of the building, leaving Adrien in a stoic state.

Marinette watched Adrien as they heard the heavy door slam shut. Suddenly, his knees buckled and he fell to the ground. She watched a man, who had been filled with such power… turn into a mess. Adrien began punching the cement with his fist, causing his knuckles to burst open and bleed along the floor. She grabbed his forearm, but it didn't help. She wrapped her arms around his waist, but he was lost in his mind. Lost in his memories and thoughts. Lost in his past.

Plagg shook his head and pried Marinette from Adrien's tensed up body. "Just leave him for a moment, love."

"NO! NO! I REFUSE!" Marinette burst into tears as Plagg pulled her away. Ripping her soul from Adrien's body.

Adrien let out a loud scream and continued to bash his fist into the floor, letting sobbing sounds fill the rundown place.

"There's no reasoning with him right now. You just have to give him space. I know it's hard, Ladybug. Believe me. I do. But you have to let it run its course. For him." Plagg whispered into her ear and she turned to cry into his chest as he lead her to his office, shutting the door behind them.

Marinette fell to her knees and cried as Plagg went down with her. She covered her ears and tried to hum to ignore Adrien's screams and anguish. She hated it. She hated everything about it. She just wanted to make it stop, but she couldn't. She knew that deep down, but she hopelessly wanted to believe that she could do something. Anything. That's when an idea popped into her mind.

"Do you have a mic?" Marinette suddenly looked up into Plagg's eyes with a warm smile and wonder filled eyes.

"What did you have in mind?" Plagg was skeptical as he watched her fill with hope. "I don't know if this idea that I see sparking in your eyes in a good one, kid."

"Trust me. Now, where is this mic?" Marinette smiled and he sighed, giving into her.

"Top drawer of my desk." Plagg rubbed his eyes and fell back against his oak desk.

"Thank you, Plagg." Marinette kissed his cheek and got up to grab it from the drawer, before she grabbed her silks from her bag.

Marinette walked out and _Easier Said_ by Alessia Cara began to play. "Healing and patience for lovers… don't place your blame on your heart… just to make them stop… Just take your time to recover.. Because it's easier said. It's easier said than done." She wrapped her hand around her silks and let it take her up into the air. She spun around and watched him from the sky. She watched him sniff and slowly peer up at her, holding his bleeding fist in his other hand. Her heart ached for him.

"Hey boy with the painted frown… listen up. Shake off the cloud that follows you around… Think fast. Change your mood and be approachable. Man up. Crawl your way off the ground…." She let herself come down and walked up to him.

She ran her hand along his jawline and his lips parted as he slowly closed his eyes and nuzzled her palm with his cheek. Her voice became quieter with each word. "Bask in your distress a little bit more because a sad face don't go away that easy… It's easier said… easier said than… done."

"I'm sorry." Adrien sighed and took a deep breath. "I let myself get lost in my head."

"You're father was a jerk. It's okay. I'm proud of you. You stood up to him and now you're free." Marinette ran her fingers through his hair. "We're free."

He suddenly picked her up and swung her around, slowly letting her down along his body. He ran his hand along her cheek and cradled her face. "You're right. We're free." He pressed his soft lips onto hers and she grabbed his broken hand, causing him to hiss in pain.

"You need to see a doctor." Marinette pressed her lips to his busted knuckles. "I think you've done more damage than I can fix."

Adrien ripped his shirt and tied it around his fist. "I'll survive. I always do, Bugaboo."

She shoved him in the chest. "I know, but I think this time… you've outdone yourself, Kitty."

Adrien rolled his eyes and let her lead him to get medical attention.

Plagg scratched his head and chuckled at them. "Kids…" He shook his head and lit a cigar, putting it between his lips. He threw his boots up onto his desk and relaxed back in his chair.

"PLAGG!" A woman's voice called out and he dropped his feet from his desk to see Tikki in the doorway.

"Tikki?" Plagg stubbed out his cigar and got up to bend at his hips and kiss her hand.

 **Song she's singing:**

 **Easier Said by Alessia Cara**


End file.
